When Mary D. Williams was a kid growing up in Garner, North Carolina, she often visited her grandparents in Johnston County. She remembers passing a sign that said, “You are in the heart of Klan country” along the way. The sign was a visible example of the racism her grandparents endured in rural North Carolina.
As she got older, Williams listened to her grandmother sing African-American spirituals as a way to cope with racial prejudice. Over time, she absorbed the message of the spirituals and began to sing them herself. Today she is a traditional gospel singer and an educator.
She co-teaches the class “The South in Black and White”for college and university students across the Triangle. In the class, Williams sings spirituals and puts the songs into context of the American South.
Host Frank Stasio talks with Williams about her passion for traditional gospel music and how she incorporates spirituals into her teaching. Williams also sings live in the studio.
Note: This is a rebroadcast. This segment originally aired in March, 2017