What Happened
Mahalia Jackson was born on October 26, 1911, in New Orleans, Louisiana, the third of six children in a poor family in the Pinching Town neighborhood. She moved to Chicago at 16 and began singing in church, developing a style that fused the blues she had grown up hearing with the sacred music of the Black church. Her 1947 recording of Move On Up a Little Higher sold over eight million copies and made her an international star. She performed at the inauguration of President John F. Kennedy. She sang at the March on Washington in 1963 — and according to those present, it was her voice calling out to Dr. King during his prepared remarks that prompted him to set aside his notes and speak the words that became the 'I Have a Dream' speech.
Why It Still Matters
Mahalia Jackson refused to perform in segregated venues at a time when that decision cost her money and bookings. She refused to cross over into secular music despite enormous commercial pressure because she believed her voice belonged to God and to her people. She used her fame and her resources to support the Civil Rights Movement financially and spiritually. And she understood, in that moment on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, that Dr. King had something more powerful than what was on the page. Her instinct changed history.
She was standing behind Dr. King at the March on Washington when she called out: 'Tell them about the dream, Martin.' The rest is history.
Around the Kitchen Table
Was there gospel music in your house? A voice that came through the radio or the record player on Sunday mornings that felt like it was holding the whole family together? Music has always been the way Black communities have carried grief and joy at the same time. What was the sound of your Sunday mornings?
Today on Grown Folks Bizness
History and Kinfolk Corner. Mahalia Jackson's voice carried a movement. Today we're talking about the music that held our families together — and the women whose faith and courage shaped everything around them.
Sources
Mahalia Jackson Estate · Grammy Hall of Fame · Smithsonian NMAAHC · HISTORY
Got a memory of gospel music, Sunday mornings, or a woman in your family whose faith held everything together? Share it with T. Blackmann at the link below. Share it with T. Blackmann →