All by-products of African-American ingenuity, Negro spirituals, blues and jazz were created to help African Americans maintain a sense of internal calmness and hope during strife; cultivate, embrace and express individuality; and serve as living connections to and trophies of cultural history, knowledge and heritage.

In spite of all the adversities and calamities enslaved African-American ancestors were forced to endure, they demonstrated an unrelenting capacity to survive despite the… Continue reading