Negro Spirituals : The Effect on African American Faith and Perseverance

Negro Spirituals were songs that were sang firstly by enslaved individuals. These songs were used to amplify the voices of the marginalized while bringing faith to the enslaved. Being that enslaved people were not allowed to read or write, Negro Spirituals have been said to come from biblical scriptures and stories that became songs that carried passion and power during troubling times. Although Negro spiritual brings different emotions such as pride and or happiness, typically they carried a soulful and sometimes very sorrowful tone. These songs were not sang just because someone decided they wanted entertainment while working; they were songs used to tell stories about having faith and overcoming a disturbing reality. 

Post slavery, many Negro Spirituals were continued in the forms of church songs that were sang by choirs as praises to God or the most high, Civil Rights movements and marches, and in cultural events as a way of connecting to African ancestors on a spiritual level. These songs have guided African American culture in a way that helped them remain resilient and steadfast as they faced hardships and adversity. The history of negro spirituals is still taught today as Black Americans use them as the voice of reason to continue the lasting fight of equality, justice, and humanity that their ancestors fought. 
I believe that through this type of connection with our African ancestors, great things have been achieved throughout African American history. It seems that a sense of faith is restored in times of trouble when these songs are used as spiritual callings. Had Negro Spirituals been lost in translation over the years, I think the effect on faith and perseverance would have been daunting and moveable.