Henry Louis Gates Jr.’s newest series, “GOSPEL,” debuts June 20 at 9 p.m. and delves deep into the origin story of Black spirituality.
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A four-hour documentary
“Gospel – With Henry Louis Gates Jr.”
Broadcast on June 20th and 27th, 2024
Exploring the origins of black spirituality through sermons and songs
Thursday, June 20
9:00pm Part 1 “Gospel Train”
The first hour of GOSPEL takes viewers to North Chicago, where Southern immigrants Thomas A. Dorsey, Mahalia Jackson and Sister Rosetta Tharpe fused blues and jazz with testimonies of God’s mercy to create a genre that would last for generations.
10:00 p.m. Part 2: “The Golden Age of the Gospel”
The second hour of GOSPEL explores the golden age of gospel beginning in the ’40s, a time when the dramatic explosion of black religious music and segregation in the American South brought the Lord’s music into the mainstream.
GOSPEL reteams Gates, a renowned Harvard scholar and documentarian, with recent directors Stacey L. Holman and Sheila Harris.
They teamed up for “MAKING BLACK AMERICA: THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE.”
Credit: Maggie Media
From blues to hip hop, African Americans have been a driving force in sonic innovation for over a century. Musical styles come and go, but one sound has always been a source of strength, courage and wisdom from the pulpit to the choir stalls on any given Sunday: the gospel.
In GOSPEL, Gates, the Alphonse Fletcher Professor at Harvard University and director of the Hutchins Center for African and African American Research, speaks with dozens of clergy, singers and scholars about the connection to music that transcends its origins and now spreads the “good word” around the world. The series features interviews with luminaries such as Dionne Warwick, U.S. Senator Raphael Warnock, Rev. Otis Moss III and Professor Michael Eric Dyson, as well as inspiring performances of gospel favorites such as “Can’t Nobody Do Me Like Jesus” and “Total Praise” by talented artists such as The Bell Singers, Corey Henry and Celis.
Gospel is more than the soundtrack of the African-American experience. “It’s its beating heart and soul,” says Gates. “From the Great Migration to today, the history of Black gospel music and preaching is one of continual movement, and it has long been a dream of mine to bring it to public television. We are fortunate to have such great partners to bring this series and concerts to life at a time when there is such a great need in this country for the transcendental healing power of gospel music.”
“We’re honored to reunite with the incredible team that created THE BLACK CHURCH, PBS’s powerful examination of Black spiritual expression,” said series producers and directors Stacey L. Holman and Sheila Harris. “For centuries, the sacred sounds of gospel music and Black preaching have testified to God’s goodness and grace, incorporating the rhythms and riffs of blues, jazz and hip hop. They are ways African Americans found their voice and power in a foreign land, and they have resonated far beyond the walls of the church. By interweaving intimate interviews with dynamic live gospel performances throughout the series, we hope viewers will be inspired and inspired by this uniquely African American art form of prayer, praise and promise.”
“We are thrilled to be working again with the incredible team of Henry Louis Gates Jr., Stacey L. Holman and Sheila Harris,” said executive producer Dylan McGee. “They have created another impactful and important series that will inspire audiences to enjoy and celebrate the sounds of gospel.”
“GOSPEL celebrates a treasured musical genre that has influenced African-American culture and communities,” said Sylvia Bugg, PBS chief programming officer and general manager. “We are thrilled that viewers will join Professor Gates in this entertaining exploration of this incredibly unique and passionate art form. This four-hour series expands PBS’s commitment to engaging with communities across America to foster greater awareness and understanding.”
The four-hour gospel series explores the history of Black religious music and preaching, showcasing the symbiotic relationship between word and song that is ubiquitous in Black churches. The series examines the origins of Black gospel music, which blends sacred spirituals with blues traditions and soared to new heights during the Great Migration. The music served as an outlet for the anger and frustration of being Black in America, and continues to do so today. The series also explores the evolution of preaching styles over time and how the influences of class, gender, cultural innovation and consumer technology have shaped the development of gospel since its inception.
