Black History Month: Honoring the Songs of Slaves

(Columbia)-When you hear the words, you can't begin to imagine the experience. Spirituals are songs that originated during slavery. Benedict College Concert Choir Director, Dr. Linda Kersahw said, "It is not only African nor is it completely American, but it is uniquely African-American. It could not have evolved without slavery."Dr. Kershaw added, "It's the theme of being in bondage and the desolation of being stripped of culture, home and geography."Leading the group gives Jenniel Manswell, a senior from Trinidad, a sense of self. Jenniel said, "I feel African. I feel Trinidadian. I feel American. I feel pain. I feel joy. I feel the thrill of exploring a musical genre that is highly underrated."While many Spirituals are slow songs of sorrow, others, like "Ain't Got Time to Die," have a steady beat. Dr. Kershaw said, "It's a spiritual used to motivate the slaves to work at a regular pace. The consequence was once punishment."This choir shares every slave's story through song. It's their way of celebrating history, while reflecting on times to come. Jenniel said, "I contemplate what was sacrificed for me to be here and what is yet to come in terms of my sacrifices for the future generation."On July 1, 1999, former South Carolina Governor, Jim Hodges, signed a bill naming the "Spiritual" as the official music of the state.