“Lift Every Voice: A Celebration Of Black Spirituals” - At The Bessie

By Ray Bassett

Published May 10, 2026 at 11:25 PM EDT

The Littleton H. Mason Singers from UTC performing at “Lift Every Voice” at the Bessie Smith Cultural Center.

(Aired Weds 4/29/26)

Black spirituals are the religious folksongs created by enslaved Africans here in the South over generations before the Civil War.

This year, during Black History Month, the Bessie Smith Cultural Center in downtown Chattanooga honored those songs - a blend of African traditions and Christian themes - by hosting an event, titled "Lift Every Voice: A Celebration of Black Spirituals."

The Center describes the legacy of Black spirituals as - quote - "expressions of faith, endurance and hope, often featuring coded messages for survival and escape, and are foundational to American genres like blues, jazz, and gospel."

Dr. Michael Williams, professor of history and director of the Africana Studies program at UTC, at “Lift Every Voice.”

Our thanks to the team at the Bessie Smith Cultural Center in Chattanooga for sharing this celebration of Black spirituals with us, so we could share it with you.