New Book Explores Negro Spirituals and Their Inspirational Power
When I was a young father, I didn’t remember the lullabies to sing to my sons, but I did remember the Negro spirituals. I sang to my sons the songs my mother sang to me—songs like Wade in the Water and Go Down, Moses. These songs were sung by our ancestors and elders to acknowledge the struggles we have endured and continue to face. They served as tools to remind us that victory is ours, even in days darker than a hundred midnights. Negro spirituals embody what Dr. Cornel West calls tragicomic hope, the belief in a brighter day even in the midst of tragedy. It is this enduring power of Negro spirituals that Cheryl Hudson beautifully captures in her new book.
By Cherly Willis Hudson
Your spirit will soar! A girl connects with heritage, history, and a higher power through the lyrics of twelve beloved spirituals and four seminal events in African American history.
A beautiful keepsake to be shared by multiple generations.
When I hear spirituals
Sometimes
A big, full feeling
Grows in my chest . . .
Her heart pounds, she gets a lump in her throat, and tears flow down her cheeks. She wants to clap her hands and stomp her feet. There is healing, tenderness, strength, pride, and above all, hope.
The author of the classic picture book Bright Eyes, Brown Skin, Cheryl Willis Hudson, has woven together lyrics of twelve timeless, Black spirituals with a moving exploration of how music holds memories, emotions, and empowerment.
Songs include “Go down, Moses,” “Nobody Knows the Troubles I See,” “Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child,” “Rock-a-My Soul,” “Get on Board, Little Children,” and more.
Evocative illustrations by award-winning artist London Ladd depict important people and places in Black history and culture: Harriet Tubman, Martin Luther King, Jr., the Great Migration, and the Enslaved People’s Uprising of 1811.
Journey through Black history and music in this layered picture book.
A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
Reading age : 6 - 9 years
Grade level : 1 - 4
Cheryl Willis Hudson’s new book is a beautiful tribute to the power and significance of Negro spirituals. She skillfully weaves the lyrics of some of our most cherished spirituals into the storyline, both inspiring and educating the reader. The timeless illustrations allow readers to immerse themselves in the beauty of the story.
This is a wonderful book that gives educators, grandparents, parents, and elders an opportunity to teach children about the role Negro spirituals have played in helping Black people develop resilience in their ongoing struggle to create a better, more beautiful world.
