Her success was not easy and did not come without struggles. As an African American Women, Mahalia faced many challenges during her career. For one, in her personal life she divorced her first husband, was born with ‘bow legs’, was forced to drop out of school at an early age, and died of heart failure. She also faced struggles as an African American women. Jackson was subject to the same unfair treatment that African Americans were subject too. For example, Jackson lived during the time of Jim Crow Laws which prevented African Americans from using the same facilities like bathrooms and water fountains as their white counterparts, forbade them from going certain places that their white counterparts could go, and other demeaning rules; because of these societal rules, Jackson was not allowed to perform at all venues even though she did break down barriers as the first African American gospel singer to perform in Carnegie Hall. She also struggle in her career as it was not always successful. Her first record did not sell well and therefore it was a while before she recorded again. Despite these setbacks, Mahalia was still able to become one of the most well known and loved gospel singers known today.  

Jackson used her music to uplift the African American community.  She was able to reach millions through her concert performances, and radio and television appearances.. As Whitman explains, President Nixon explained that she “sings the Gospel  message of freedom” which became “metaphors of black freedom” for the African-American community. People found strength in her songs. Jackson started singing gospel as a girl in a small church in New Orleans and never stopped. She remained a positive influence by sticking to her values and only performing uplifting gospel music to inspire the African-American community during hard times. In this way, Jackson became a leader in the African-American community, inspiring others to have resilience through hard times like time before the civil rights movement. 

Not only did Jackson’s lyrics in her music uplift the community but they exemplified the struggle that African Americans were experiencing. Jackson continued to sing influential music like her song, “His Eye is on the Sparrow”. As Irene Jackson Brown puts it, the lyrics ask important questions like “Why should I feel discouraged” Why should I feel in pain? Why should I feel lonely when clouds arise, when I have trouble and I long for heaven and home? His eye is on the sparrow and I know he is watching over me” (Terkel).  These questions describe the sentiment in the African-American community at the time. Because of the civil rights movement, African-Americans were facing prejudice and discrimination and yet this song tells them that it is going to be okay because God (the sparrow) is watching over them. The African-American community turned to God for their hope and their light which is why gospel music was such an important aspect of their lives and these lyrics helped inspire the African American community to keep going through hard times. Mahalia Jackson’s gospel lyrics inspired the African-American community to keep fighting for their rights. 

Mahalia Jackson not only inspired the community with her music but also exemplified the strength of the community through her live performances. Jackson’s music was even more influential in her live concert performances where her commitment to the lyrics and message could be seen. As Mr. Heilbut explains, “Singing these and other songs to black audiences, Miss Jackson as a woman on fire, whose combs flew out of her hair as she performed. She moved her listeners to dancing, to shouting, to ecstasy. – Whenever Mahalia Jackson poured the power and the majesty of her conic into one of her favorites songs, “I Believe”, there could never be any doubt that she meant it,  meant every word” (Terkel). The passion and commitment that went into Mahalia’s performance was very obvious to anyone watching and this inspired many. They saw a strong African-American woman with a beautiful voice singing about hope and they were inspired to keep fighting for their rights. Even white audiences were inspired by Jackson’s performances because they could sense the strength emanating from Jackson herself through her music and a strong black woman is a different image than the white community is usually presented with. In this way, Jackson exemplified the strength of all African Americans. 

Jackson shows her amazing leadership in her attempts to not only fight for the rights of African American community but for unity in the United States. As she herself explained, “I have hopes that my singing will break down some of the hate and fear that divide the white and black people in this country” (Whiteman). Mahalia not only chose to fight the for the rights of her people but also to bring the country together. This was her goal in her music and she passed that same goal along to her role in the civil rights movement. Her performances brought together African American and white people. In this way, like her friend Martin Luther King, she fought in a peaceful yet demanding way to not only achieve her rights but also to make peace in the country. 

Jackson’s resistance to white dominated society is shown through her participation in the civil rights movement. One of Jackson’s most influential moments is her performance of “I Been Buked and I Been Scorned” before Martin Luther King’s famous “I Have A Dream Speech” during the famous March on Washington. Jackson inspired millions of people there and on television in her awe-inspiring perforce and as Whitman puts it the song “came as much from her heart as from her vocal chords”. Although Jackson had been involved in the Civil Rights Movement for over a decade, this pinnacle moment and march was a turning point in the movement. Millions of people participated in the march/protest and it was one of the most important because it got the message across to the political leaders of the time that the leaders of the civil rights movement were serious about getting equal rights for African Americans. Many people described Jackson’s performance as the awe-inspiring, and she set the mood for Dr. King’s ‘I Have a Dream” speech.

Mahalia Jackson’s contribution to the civil rights movement went way beyond her singing at the March on Washington and revealed her inner resilience for the cause. Jackson meet Martin Luther King when she became very active in the moment and they became great friends. They traveled all over the South together, her singing, and him speaking. She not only lifted the spirit of King’s audiences but even helped him deliver his most famous speech, the “I Have A Dream” speech. As Hansen explains in his article, during King’s speech, “Nearby, off to one side, Mahalia Jackson shouted: ‘Tell them about the dream, Martin!’ – He said, ‘I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream’. And he was off, delivering some of the most beloved lines in American history”. The fact that Jackson was an inspiration to even Dr. King shows her importance as a resilient figure.