Part 2: Let My People Go: 1776-1866

“Music was a primary form of communication for the slaves, just as it had been for their African forebears. Through the medium of song the slave could comment on his problems and savor the few pleasures allowed him; he could voice his despair and his hopes, and assert his humanity in an environment that constantly denied his humanness. As in the African tradition, the songs of slaves could tell his story and reveal his everyday concerns.” 

-- The Music of Black Americans, Page 155