Memory, freedom and song

The journey, survival, resistance, resilience, protest and creativity of enslaved Africans in the Americas showcase the courageous transition from deep despair to defiant joy. Like all history, the story and music of enslaved Africans in the Americas is marked by human life, face and spirit.

The African American Spirituals were created by African prisoners of the forced labor system in America. The enslaved Africans in America brought their musical instincts, talents and traditions with them from Africa. They used their original African rhythms and created the African American Spirituals. The African American Spirituals are the musical expression of the striving for dignity, equality and freedom. The African American Spirituals included religious songs and work songs, battle cries and chants.

The great abolitionist Frederick Douglass said, “Slaves sing most when they are most unhappy. The slave’s songs reflect the sorrows of his heart; and they comfort him, as a sore heart is relieved by his tears.”

From the beginning, enslaved Africans in the Americas were stripped of their languages, families and cultures. Yet, in the midst of great grief and deep despair, with no liberation in sight, these dehumanized, oppressed and abused African captives raised their heads, composed songs, opened their mouths and sang. The transformative power of this music embodies the values ​​of dignity and the fight for justice and equality. In their bondage, these men and women expressed their journey through their creativity in musical expression. They composed a body of work that gave birth to blues, ragtime, gospel, jazz, rap and hip-hop, and has deep roots in pop, country, rock and more.

Freedom came and finally came Juneteenth. The National Museum of African American History and Culture tells the story of Juneteenth:

“On Freedom’s Eve, the night before January 1, 1863, the first Watch Night services were held. That night, enslaved and free African Americans gathered in churches and private homes across the country, awaiting news that the Emancipation Proclamation had gone into effect. At midnight, prayers were answered when all enslaved people in the Confederate States were declared legally free. Union soldiers, many of whom were black, marched on plantations and through towns in the South, reading small copies of the Emancipation Proclamation to spread the news of freedom in the Confederate States. Only through the Thirteenth Amendment Did emancipation end slavery throughout the United States?

But not everyone in Confederate territory was immediately free. Although the Emancipation Proclamation went into effect in 1863, it could not be implemented in the areas still under Confederate control. As a result, enslaved people in the westernmost Confederate state of Texas did not become free until much later. Freedom finally came on June 19, 1865, when about 2,000 Union troops arrived in Galveston Bay, Texas. The Army announced that the more than 250,000 enslaved blacks in the state were free by decree. This day became known as “Juneteenth” from the newly freed people of Texas.

The post-emancipation period known as Reconstruction (1865-1877) was an era of great hope, uncertainty, and struggle for the entire nation. Formerly enslaved people immediately sought to reunite their families, establish schools, run for political office, push through radical legislation, and even sue slave owners for compensation. Considering the more than 200 years of slavery, such changes were nothing short of astonishing. Not even a generation after slavery, African Americans were inspired and empowered to change their lives and their country.

Juneteenth marks our country’s second Independence Day. Although it has long been celebrated in the African-American community, this monumental event is largely unknown to most Americans. The historical legacy of Juneteenth shows the value of never giving up hope in uncertain times.”

History shows us that freedom is not free. After Reconstruction, Jim Crow laws were introduced following the ratification of the 13th Amendment. The burden of this “newfound freedom” changed the music of African Americans and the blues was born.

The African-American spiritual “Oh Freedom” was written after the Civil War. Its poignant lyrics, steeped in grief and a longing for complete freedom, reflect the struggle for dignity and the unshakable hope that sustained the community in the fight for equality and justice.

Oh, freedom, oh, freedom!

And before I was a slave

I would be buried in my grave

And go home to my Lord and be free.

And before I was a slave

I would be buried in my grave

And go home to my Lord and be free.

They will sing about me

And before I was a slave

I would be buried in my grave

And go home to my Lord and be free.

Remembering this history means acknowledging and honoring the past, learning from these historical events, and ensuring that the lessons of the past are not forgotten. Remembering preserves collective memory and understands the sacrifices, struggles, hardships, and triumphs of past generations, while also acknowledging the impact of historical events on our present and future. Remembering helps build empathy and resilience, reminding us that human experiences shape our community, our world, and our future. When we fail to tell historical truth, we lose the opportunity to witness and share God’s redeeming beauty.

The enslaved Africans survived the harsh system of slavery, and yet it did not destroy their music. In the midst of the darkest time in American history, there was beauty. There was redemption. The prophet Zephaniah tells us that God sings over us with joy. Our singing God took something terrible and made beauty out of it. Beauty was redeemed, and God did it through song.

Read this Article from the University of South Florida Newsroom in St. Petersburg to learn more about the complicated history, significance and celebrations surrounding the freedom struggle.

Ruth Naomi Floyd is a singer, composer, flautist, educator, independent historian, photographer and law enforcement officer.

Photo: “Yet Alive” © Ruth Naomi Floyd Images

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