Chapter 12: Gospel, Blues and R&B
Known as the “Queen of Gospel,” Mahalia Jackson (1911–1972) helped bring Black sacred music into the national spotlight and used her platform to inspire not only musical audiences but also activists, leaders, and everyday citizens during the Civil Rights Movement.
Born in New Orleans in 1911, Jackson was raised in a deeply religious family and grew up singing in her local Baptist church. She moved to Chicago as a teenager during the Great Migration. Like many African Americans relocating from the rural South to northern cities, she found community and musical opportunity in the church.
In the 1930s, Jackson met Thomas A. Dorsey and became the foremost interpreter of his compositions. The two formed a partnership modeled on Tin Pan Alley’s song-plugging system: they performed on street corners with Jackson singing and Dorsey selling sheet music to passersby. This strategy helped spread Dorsey’s gospel songs to Black congregations across the country, while Jackson’s soaring and emotionally rich voice brought the music to life. Her performances transformed gospel from a niche genre into a national phenomenon.
Jackson’s voice combined the raw power of the blues with the spiritual conviction of the church. Her singing was defined by deep emotional intensity, vocal improvisation, and physical expressiveness. She frequently used melismas, vocal slides, and shouted exclamations—key features of the African American gospel tradition.
Her 1950 recording of “Move On Up a Little Higher” sold over a million copies, becoming one of the first gospel records to achieve crossover commercial success. Other hits like “How I Got Over,” “Take My Hand, Precious Lord,” and “I Found the Answer” established Jackson as gospel music’s first true star.
Beyond her influence in the church and recording studio, Mahalia Jackson was a prominent figure in the Civil Rights Movement. She was a close friend and trusted confidante of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., frequently performing at rallies, mass meetings, fundraisers, and civil rights marches across the country. Jackson’s powerful gospel singing served as a spiritual call to action and a source of inspiration for those engaged in the struggle for racial justice.
At the historic 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, one of the largest and most significant demonstrations for civil rights in U.S. history, Jackson’s performance set the tone for the event. She sang the spiritual “I’ve Been ‘Buked and I’ve Been Scorned,” a song deeply rooted in the African American experience of suffering and resilience, just moments before Dr. King stepped up to deliver his legendary “I Have a Dream” speech from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. According to eyewitness accounts and King’s own reflections, it was Mahalia Jackson’s encouragement that prompted him to abandon his prepared remarks and speak from the heart, improvising the now-iconic “I Have a Dream” lines that have echoed through history.
Jackson’s signature song, “Precious Lord, Take My Hand,” written by Thomas A. Dorsey, became an anthem and a musical prayer for the Civil Rights Movement. Dr. King often requested this song at events, finding solace and strength in its message. After Dr. King’s assassination in 1968, Jackson performed “Precious Lord” at his funeral, symbolizing the deep connection between her music and the struggle for justice. Years later, Aretha Franklin sang the same song at Jackson’s own funeral, highlighting the spiritual and musical legacy that linked these two powerful voices in American culture.