Dialogue

Best of: A Dialogue about gospel and Black spirituality

 
Left to right: Reginald Hardwick, IPM News & Public Affairs Director; Dr. Leonard McKinnis, UIUC professor of African American religions and Black studies; musician Aaron Wilson, pointing his mic to the crowd for call and response; and Dr. Malaika McKee, UIUC professor in the College of Education.

Left to right: Reginald Hardwick, IPM News & Public Affairs Director; Dr. Leonard McKinnis, UIUC professor of African American religions and Black studies; musician Aaron Wilson, pointing his mic to the crowd for call and response; and Dr. Malaika McKee, UIUC professor in the College of Education. Nathan Gonzalez, IPM News

This week, our entire hour is a re-run of a previous Dialogue about gospel music and Black spirituality, which was the subject for a recent PBS documentary series 'Gospel.' It was produced and hosted by professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr. The series shows us that Chicago was the birthplace of modern gospel music thanks to composer Thomas Dorsey, who co-founded  the National Convention of Gospel Choirs and Choruses in 1933. The discussion was taped in front of a crowd at The Virginia Theatre in Champaign on February 16, 2024. 

Guests:

Dr. Malaika McKee

Assistant professor of education policy, organization and leadership at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Dr. Leonard Cornell McKinnis, II

Professor, African American Religions and Black Studies at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Aaron Wilson

Danville native and musician

Below are videos connected to the series 'Gospel' and some of the music included in this week's episode.

This Dialogue originally aired March 8, 2024.