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Model Final Exam answers 2018 Complete Research Report Index to Sample Research Reports |
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Kara DeLaughter
Black Gospel and Diversity through Pentecostalism
Music has always been a big part of my life, and growing up Pentecostal,
Black Gospel was always playing in my house. More recently, I have studied
gospel more closely because I play piano for my father’s church and I have
developed a great appreciation for many black musicians. I was not surprised to
learn that almost every genre of music can be traced back to African-American
spirituals and work songs, but what I did not know, until studying for this
research report, is just how intertwined Pentecostalism and Black Gospel were,
and how both were brought to popularity on the back of diversity, and largely,
on the voice of Mahalia Jackson.
The Library of Congress has a rich collection of essays and articles about black
history, and I gathered much information from an article entitled, African
American Gospel. “ From its beginnings, Gospel music challenged the existing
church establishment” The aforementioned article supplied this quote, which
brings about the point of Gospel’s divergence, rebellion and consequential
impact. Black Gospel was born out of jazz, but goes all the way back to the
Negro Spirituals and the more recent Pentecostal movement that was begun in
Houston by the diverse duo: Charles Fox Parham, a white Methodist, and William
J. Seymour, a black Baptist Minister (Library of Congress).
As
Pentecostalism swept throughout the country in the first decade of the 1900’s,
the exuberant, Pentecostal worship, of blacks and whites, men and women, all
together, became a feature one expected to see at the camp meetings. A little
later, Mahalia Jackson’s soulful gospel was particularly well responded too,
according to the NPR article, A History of Gospel Music. Jackson
eventually became the earliest face of the style.
Races were colliding in the birth of this spiritual and musical movement, but
not only races: classes and genders were also empowered, as William Seymour
brought the movement to the poor parts of Los Angeles, specifically Azusa
Street. Randall J. Stephen’s essay, Assessing the Roots of Pentecostalism,
shows the realization of the “The Dream” of minorities in Pentecostalism,
“The Azusa street revival gathered the "ethnic minority groups of Los Angeles,"
who discovered a "sense of dignity and community denied them in the larger urban
culture.” Still today, Pentecostal groups like the Church of God in Christ and
the United Pentecostal Church pride themselves on being multicultural and
allowing women to be ordained ministers.
However, while it is important to note that the modern Pentecostal movement was
created in tandem with Black Gospel, I think it is equally important to go even
further back in history, to the book of Acts, in the Bible, to see just how
inherently multicultural this movement is.
Acts chapter two begins by explaining that on the day of Pentecost (a Jewish
feast that became the namesake for the modern movement) there were “devout men,
out of every nation under heaven” (King James Version, Acts 2:5). This coming
together brought about the fulfillment of the prophecy of Joel wherein God’s
spirit fills everyone that calls on His name: men, women and children, all
ethnicities and cultures had to be present to bring about this “New Covenant”
(Acts 2, Joel 2:28). Furthermore, the evidence for when one has received this
“gift of the Holy Ghost” as it is termed in verse thirty-eight, is that the
individual will speak with a “new tongue”—tongue being Greek for language, I
think it is significant that diversity in language is a part of this
multicultural beginning of the modern church.
In contrast with Christianity’s Jewish roots, the multi-ethnic and cultural
element shines even brighter. Judaism was centered on the Abrahamic lineage, and
so it was exclusive to one people group. This “old testament” or old covenant
with Elohim, the nameless God of the Hebrew tradition, became annulled when
Jesus was born—the incarnated flesh of God signaled a big change was on the way.
His death further sealed the deal, and the change became evident –the covenant
was no longer Judeo-centric—Jesus was God for everyone who believed.
“A colorful gathering of cultures and a joyful celebration complete with
an ice cream social May 15, commemorated the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on
the apostles, which heralded the birth of the Catholic Church.” This account of
a modern celebration of Pentecost by Ruby Thomas is from The Record, a catholic
web based newspaper (http://therecordnewspaper.org.).
It shows that Pentecost is not just for Pentecostals, true to its nature, it is
celebrated by the many branches of Christianity as a beginning. Indeed, by
taking the context of Jewish history to modern Pentecostal movements, and from
there to the general Christian population the inherent diversity therein shows
up clearly. And because Black gospel is in conjunction with Pentecost the
diversity continues on the voices of artists like Fred Hammond, Tamela Mann, and
racially diverse choirs like The Pentecostals of Katy and Indiana Bible College.
And while mainstream Black Gospel has deviated from the Pentecostal doctrines
the theme of diversity remains, and I am proud to be a part of a heritage with a
history of diversity and inclusion.
Works Cited
African American Gospel.
The Library of Congress.
A History of Gospel Music.
NPR.
https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4233793
Assessing The Roots of Pentecostalism: A Historiographic Essay.
Randall J. Stephens.
http://are.as.wvu.edu/pentroot.htm
The Book of Acts. The KJV
Prophecy Study Bible. Barbour Publishing inc. 2016. Print
The Book of Joel.
The KJV Prophecy Study Bible. Barbour Publishing inc. 2016. Print
Thomas , Ruby, “Multicultural Celebration Marks Pentecost.” The
Record, Archdiocesan News, 7 June 2016,
therecordnewspaper.org/multicultural-celebration-marks-pentecost/.2016.
