Black gospel music

Black gospel music, often called gospel music or simply gospel, is the traditional music of the Black diaspora in the United States. It is rooted in the musical practices of enslaved Africans such as call-and-response, polyrhythmic patterns, and what is now considered Blues harmony and form. It is also the liturgical music of the Historic Black Church. During the 1960s era in the South, it was described as the "soundtrack of the struggle for civil rights", helping create unity and faith for the work.

As a popular form of commercial music, Black gospel was revolutionized in the 1930s by Thomas Dorsey, the "father of gospel music", who is credited with composing more than 1,000 gospel songs, including "Take My Hand, Precious Lord" and "Peace in the Valley". Dorsey also created the first gospel choir and sold millions of copies of his recordings nationwide. The Pilgrim Baptist Church in Chicago, Dorsey's home church, is currently in development as the National Museum of Gospel Music.