DeLauro Offers Resolution Recognizing the African American Spiritual

DeLauro Offers Resolution Recognizing the African American Spiritual

Congresswoman Rosa L. DeLauro (Conn.-3) today offered a resolution calling on the U.S. House to recognize the African American spiritual. DeLauro was encouraged to offer the resolution by Calvin Earl, an African American musician who found inspiration for his work in the musical legacy created by African American slaves. Along with its companion in the Senate, this resolution would recognize the African American spiritual as a national treasure and "express the deepest gratitude, recognition, and honor to the former enslaved Africans in the United States for their gifts to our Nation."

"The African American spiritual is perhaps the most important musical tradition in our history," said DeLauro. "Though they are rooted in one of the darkest periods of our history as a nation, spirituals have also inspired America's greatest musical accomplishments, from entire genres such as jazz and rock 'n' roll to moving works of opera and orchestral music. Songs such as ‘We Shall Overcome,' ‘Go Down Moses,' and ‘Swing Low, Sweet Chariot,' have entered our cultural lexicon and that of the world. Today, human beings across the globe play and enjoy music that draws on the musical legacy of enslaved Africans. Furthermore, in its cry for deliverance, the African American spiritual captures a resounding call for justice and human dignity that instructs to this day. It is only proper for Congress to recognize the significance of the spiritual."

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http://www.house.gov/delauro/press/2006/May/african_american_spirituals_5_2_06.html