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Wade In The Water Ep. 4: Sacred Songs As History

The Soul Stirrers.
Michael Ochs Archives
/
Getty Images
The Soul Stirrers.

Wade in the Water is a 26-part series, originally released in 1994, that celebrates African American sacred music and traditions. To learn more about the series, click here . For more episodes click here or listen on the go with the NPR One app.


The sinking of the Titanic, the Depression, World Wars I and II and the civil rights movement, and the moving songs that arise from the sacred music tradition.

Song List

  • Voices of the Civil Rights Movement,"Wade in the Water"
  • Bernice Johnson Reagon, "Steal Away"
  • Montage
  • Bessie Jones, "God Moved on the Water"
  • Dixieaires, "When That Great Ship Went Down"
  • Dixieaires, "Joe Louis Was a Fighting Man"
  • Soul Stirrers, "Tell Me Why You Like Roosevelt"
  • Soul Stirrers, "Oh What a Time"
  • Gospel Pilgrims, "I'm Grateful to the NAACP"
  • SNCC Freedom Singers, "Ain't Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around"
  • SNCC Freedom Singers, "We'll Never Turn Back"
  • SNCC Freedom Singers, "O Pritchett, O Kelly"
  • Rev. Frederick Kirkpatrick / Jimmy Collier, "Everybody's Got a Right to Live"
  • Sweet Honey in the Rock, "Believe I'll Run On"
  • Sweet Honey in the Rock, "Sojourner's Battle Hymn"
  • Wade in the Water was produced by Judi Moore Latta and Sonja Williams.


    Stream A Selection Of Songs From The Series

    Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

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