SING, Unburied, SING: The Power of Song

In class yesterday, people had really insightful opinions regarding why Jesmyn Ward chose to call her book Sing, Unburied, Sing. After class, I thought more about the "singing" aspect of the title; after all, it appears twice in the title! (I also think it's cool that the title, Sing, Unburied, Sing, has a nice musical quality to it.)

More specifically, I explored the importance of singing in African American heritage. After I read Ward's novel and thought about the title, I immediately remembered a brief discussion my class had in AP U.S. History in tenth grade. When we talked about slavery in America, we discussed how music and "labor songs" were a significant part of African American culture.

Ward makes many references to slavery in her novel and also emphasizes that although slavery has ended, racism and discrimination have not. Parchman is a living reminder of slavery and of the atrocities that occurred (which primarily affected African Americans) during the time of Pop's youth. Singing was an aspect of both slavery and life at Parchman, bridging the time gap. Whether in the past or in the present, singing brings people together. It feeds off of people's inner spirituality, so to speak. Singing can be melancholy, or it can be hopeful, but singing ultimately unites people on a deeper level. It provides a kind of universal escape for the groups who are singing and creates a sense of community among the individuals. 

I dug a little deeper so I would be more informed (and so you would be as well) on this topic. 

• Why did slaves create a culture in which song was so important? 
• The majority of American slaves came from Africa, so they brought their "musical traditions" with them. 
• Slaves sang work songs while they toiled away in the fields and sang religious songs while they worshiped. 
• Many slaves also added "field hollers" to their musical repertoire, which involved call and response chants. 
• Songs often involved drumming and dancing.
• Colonists viewed many of the slaves’ musical traditions as “idolatrous," so the slaves performed within in their own community.
• Slaves passed these musical traditions down orally, as many of them were illiterate.
• Their cultural musical practices continued in times of continued oppression after slavery.
• According to the Smithsonian, “Music was a solace, a community-builder, and voice for hope during enslavement and afterward, in the days of Reconstruction and then Jim Crow."

Music was an important aspect of African American culture in our country, and it still functions as a powerful unifier. Music transcends human life in the novel—the dead continue to sing.

Sources:

https://www.si.edu/spotlight/african-american-music/roots-of-african-american-music

https://www.loc.gov/item/ihas.200197451