In celebration of the opening of the National Museum of African American History and Culture, musicians and scholars lead a moving evening of song, narratives, and reflections in the nave of Washington National Cathedral. Selections include Wade in the Water, Swing Low Sweet Chariot, Woke up this Morning, Go Down Moses, This Little Light of Mine, We Shall Overcome, and John Coltrane’s searing composition Alabama, composed as musical response to the Birmingham church bombing of 1963. The event also honors the scholarship of Dr. Eileen Guenther, whose new book, In Their Own Words, focuses on the genesis and power of the Spirituals.
View the event gallery and watch the full webcast below.