ASU Humanities Institute Celebrates the Legacy of Mahalia Jackson

Mahalia Jackson was the most acclaimed gospel singer in history (known as the “Queen of Gospel Song”) and a critical activist in the Black freedom movement. She was born into poverty, but her musical talents led her to success in Chicago to world fame and real wealth far beyond. At the heart of this journey was her resonant faith in God, her legacy as a Black Southerner, her experience as a Black woman, and her indelible memory of what it meant to be poor and unseen. Through her faith and politics, she helped build strong Black institutions and pushed for uplift and equality in what we call Black Power Interracialism.

Hosted at and in collaboration with First Institutional Baptist Church, the oldest Black Baptist church in Phoenix, Why Mahalia Matters: Mahalia Jackson and the Politics of the Spirit, invites guests to celebrate legacies, such as Jackson’s, that inspire change.

“Mahalia Jackson’s voice was more than music — it was a battle cry for justice, a force that moved the Civil Rights Movement forward and uplifted those fighting for freedom,” says Curtis Austin, Associate Director of the Humanities Institute.

Why Mahalia Matters engages with the powerful scholarship of Tim Tyson, one of the leading Civil Rights scholars in the United States, and will be held on April 3, the day before the anniversary of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s assassination. Notably, Jackson performed the African American spiritual “I Been ‘Buked and I Been Scorned” moments before King’s “I Have a Dream” speech to an estimated audience of 250,000. King requested the song, which echoes the sentiments of his speech — some of which was improvised, compelled by Jackson’s statement to “Tell them about the dream, Martin!” — and conveys the treatment and suffering of enslaved African Americans that ran parallel to the causes of the Civil Rights movement.

Jackson’s songs will be brought to life with soul-stirring performances by Mary Dobbin Williams, whose unique voice and expansive body of work has earned her many prestigious honors. A public educator with a BA in American Studies and a double minor in History and the African American Diaspora, Williams has conducted performances for the United States Congress, Civil Rights symposia in France, and concerts for incarcerated men and women in the State penitentiaries and County jails.

Dr. Warren H. Stewart Sr., Senior Pastor of the First Institutional Baptist Church since 1977, says, “…hearing and feeling the sounds and strategy of the late Mahalia Jackson who was a leader in the historic Civil Rights Movement is right on time for Arizona. It is vitally important to introduce this remarkable Black gospel singer par excellence who inspired the likes of Martin Luther King, Jr., Rosa Parks and so many others…”

Significantly, Pastor Stewart is cited as one of the most influential religious leaders in Arizona and in the nation. Having organized and led two broad-based coalitions (Arizonans for a Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday and Victory Together, Inc.) during a decades-long fight, he is responsible for helping to bring the state Martin Luther King, Jr./Civil Rights Day to Arizona, which won by a historic vote of the people in the general election on November 3, 1992.

The Humanities Institute is looking forward to honoring the deep connection between gospel, justice, and activism. Why Mahalia Matters is free to the public. Guests can register on the Humanities Institute website.