We’re celebrating black heroes who made history, and I want to introduce you to Mahalia Jackson, who was born on October 26, 1911 in New Orleans, Louisiana. She was known as “the Queen of Gospel” and honored as one of the greatest musical figures in U.S. history.
Jackson began singing when she was four years old at Mount Moriah Baptist Church.
Jackson began singing when she was four years old at Mount Moriah Baptist Church. She moved to Chicago at 16 and joined the Greater Salem Baptist Church. She sang with the Johnson Gospel Singers for a few years before working on solo projects with the gospel composer Thomas A. Dorsey.
Jackson was raised in a devout Christian home, but her style was influenced by the blues. In 1947, her song “Move On Up a Little Higher” sold millions of copies and became the highest selling gospel single in history. From there, Jackson successfully toured nationally and internationally, and even had her own gospel program on television.
In 1947, her song “Move On Up a Little Higher” sold millions of copies and became the highest selling gospel single in history.
Jackson was also active in the Civil Rights movement. She sung at the inauguration of President John F. Kennedy in 1961, the March on Washington D.C. in 1963 (right before the “I Have a Dream” speech), and at the funeral of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968.
There is a chapter in “75 Masterpieces Every Christian Should Know” dedicated to her, and she should be celebrated.
I recall a time when I had some serious ant hills on my front lawn. As these ants served their queen, they built mounds on my lawn, turning a once-green lawn into a place of foreign habitation. They were building their own kingdom on my lawn, so I needed to address their presence. If I didn’t...
Everybody needs someone to help them navigate through their life. Timothy had the best of mentors in the apostle Paul, who wrote two letters to encourage him in his life and ministry. During his missionary journeys, Paul had left Timothy behind in Ephesus so that he could grow the ministry that...
