"The Wisdom of the Spirituals" Will be Revived in a Unique Presentation at Colorado State University

The unique musical tradition created by African-American slaves will once again be heard when Arthur Jones, senior clinical professor of psychology at the University of Denver, presents "The Wisdom of the Spirituals" Nov. 18 from noon-1:30 p.m. in Room 214 of the Lory Student Center on the Colorado State campus. The event is free and open to the public.

"The Wisdom of the Spirituals" is a lecture with musical illustrations that surveys the importance of the spirituals. These songs were created by African-American slaves as a cultural and musical foundation for all African-American music. A discussion will examine the continuing relevance of the spirituals as a partner of social action in current issues of prejudice and hatred, as well as the various challenges posed by modern interpretations of music that originated as the voice of the disenfranchised.

Jones is the founder and director of The Spirituals Project and the author of the award-winning book, Wade in the Water: The Wisdom of the Spirituals. His awards include the Colorado Psychological Association’s E. Ellis Graham Award for Distinguished Service to Psychology and the Richard T. Castro Memorial Community Service Award from the Coalition for Multi-Cultural Mental Health Services.

"The African-American spirituals are some of the most important contributions to the cultural heritage of our nation," said Irene Vernon, assistant professor of English at Colorado State. "Dr. Jones brings art and information together and resurrects the life of the spirituals, returning to them their original power and energy."

Contact Vernon at 491-6839 or the Center for Applied Studies in American Ethnicity at 491-2418 for more details.