Redemption In Spirituals: Notes of Suffering

Spiritual Redemption.

By Camille

Many may know, that I am a singer, a musician, and my favorite genre to perform are spirituals. Gutteral proclamations of sorrows, forgiveness, sin, and redemption. I am thankful for my Religious Studies Professors at OU for creating a creative space for students to cultivate their voices and interest, because that is how I began to build upon a large fraction of my existence which is music. Spirituals are more than just "slave songs" or "Negro Spirituals". They are a testament to the endurance and the human spirit's capacity to persevere even in the face of unimaginable adversity.

This prolonged torture and dehumanization echoes ancestral pain and symphonic whispers that amidst the darkest hours, they found a light, the survivalist refrain. Their heart beats with a deafening rhythm of defiance snatched from the depths of their soul in despair, to a found solace, a release, within faith. Between this ongoing rhythm of defiance, sounds of despair, the survivalist fermata, a poignant pause that speaks volumes, is a testament to their resilience. It is not enough to passively listen to this song, but to allow yourself to become transformed and enveloped in the words can be a transformational experience.

Within slavery’s legacy is an eternal struggle for emancipation. Du Bois's evocative imagery of "sombre forests" and the metaphor of the "Canaan" symbolize the elusive quest for freedom and fulfillment amid persistent obstacles. The struggle for emancipation as a journey towards self-awareness and self-respect, where individuals confront the burden of racial oppression and begin to recognize their own potential and mission is portrayed (DuBois 13). Similarly, spirituals were harvested in the same light, through hours of plantation work and endless longing for better futures, sprouted to give the labor a beat to move to, to give the cries movement to listening ears for generations to come, to tell a story of resilience. Is there a moral failing to be seen here? A moral failing that is the cultivator. Enslaved individuals did not partake in forbidden produce, they cultivated such things for the perpetrators of moral corruption. 

This moral paradox challenges us to confront the uncomfortable truths of history and acknowledge the enduring legacy of systemic racism and inequality. It demands that we grapple with the complexities of moral agency within oppressive systems and strive to dismantle the structures of injustice that continue to shape our world today. In recognizing the potential moral failing inherent in the cultivation of spirituals, we are called to honor the resilience and humanity of those who endured unimaginable suffering while committing ourselves to the ongoing struggle for justice, equality, and freedom for all.

Similarly in the salvific musical world, I think that blues extends a similar hand like spirituals. Blues music stems from the invocation of sorrow and melancholy. This genre is specific to addressing the emotional needs of the marginalized individuals who needed to express their societal reflections, being that they themselves have been cast aside and overlooked. Within the church community, black and queer bodies are cast aside and overlooked. They are at a disadvantage economically, they are socially marginalized, and are deemed as not fit to strive and survive within the perceived norms of religious spaces. Douglas mentions, “While it is important not to fetishize or romanticize blues as if it is a pure reflection of black life and culture, it does capture a profound side of black existence that other forms of black expressive culture do not. (Douglas XV).” 

Notes of exclusion futher in Notes of A Native Son, James Baldwin goes through a journey of self-discovery and the challenges of navigating their identity within the context of racial inheritance. They reflect on the enduring impact of historical oppression and exclusion on their sense of self, emphasizing the ongoing struggle for recognition and dignity. The author critiques the lack of moral progress in society, particularly regarding racial inequality, and highlights the panic of those who have historically held power as they face potential shifts in dominance. This reflection on the complexities of race, power, and identity resonates with the themes found in spirituals, which emerged from the experiences of African Americans during slavery.

Similarly as the author's exploration of inheritance and identity, spirituals express themes of resilience, resistance, and hope in the face of adversity. They serve as a cultural and spiritual anchor, offering solace and strength while confronting the realities of systemic injustice. Both the excerpt and spirituals thus shed light on the enduring struggle for liberation and dignity amidst the complexities of race and power dynamics in society. "The conundrum of color is the inheritance of every American, be he/she legally or actually Black or White. It is a fearful inheritance, for which untold multitudes, long ago, sold their birthright. Multitudes are doing so, until today. This horror has so welded past and present that it is virtually impossible and certainly meaningless to speak of it as occurring, as it were, in time. It can be, and it has been, suicidal to attempt to speak of this to a multitude, which, assuming it knows that time exists, believes that time can be outwitted.( Baldwin 14)."

In Baldwin's reflection, there is a similar acknowledgment of suffering and struggle, both personal and collective, resulting from the legacy of racial injustice. However, there is also a yearning for redemption — a desire to claim one's birthright and affirm one's humanity in the face of dehumanization and exclusion. This quest for redemption echoes the spirituals' theme of finding solace and hope even in the darkest of times.

Furthermore, Baldwin's critique of societal structures and the call for moral change align with the transformative power often associated with redemption in spirituals. Redemption, in this context, involves not only personal salvation but also the collective liberation from oppressive systems. Both Baldwin's reflections and spirituals thus speak to the enduring human spirit and the quest for redemption and dignity in the face of suffering and injustice.

I leave you with this, fellow reader: How can we reconcile the moral paradox of deriving comfort and inspiration from the artistic expressions of those who endured unimaginable suffering, while simultaneously acknowledging our collective responsibility to confront and dismantle the systemic injustices that perpetuate such suffering?

Works Cited:

Baldwin, James. Notes of A Native Son. Beacon Press, 1955.

Douglas, Kelly Brown. Black Bodies And The Black Church. Palgrave Macmillan, 2012.  

Du Bois, W. E. B. The Souls of Black Folk. Dover Publications, 1994.