Jubilation! Ambassadors on a Sacred Journey

On October 6, 1871, a troupe of African American singers from Fisk University set out on a revolutionary tour to save their school from financial ruin. Their journey took them north along a route used before by fugitive slaves. Along the way they encountered well-wishers and supporters, along with those who would ridicule and turn them away due only to the color of their skin. As they persevered, their music touched the hearts of a nation still mourning the lost of so many from the Civil War. Most audiences heard for the first time the songs of African Americans, created during slavery to endure the hardships of their captivity. They heard musical forms borrowed from their African ancestors and song taught from mothers to daughters. They became ambassadors for their school, their race, their Christian faith, and their music.

As ambassadors, the original Fisk Jubilee Singers introduced the world to African American spirituals, but their story is not confined to the 19th century. In 2021, the Fisk Jubilation Singers celebrated their 150th anniversary. This exhibition pays homage to the original troupe, but also carries forward the story of the group and their music forward to the 21st century and beyond.