If we remember Mahalia Jackson, we know her as the greatest gospel singer to ever live. The New York Times best-selling author Timothy B. Tyson and acclaimed gospel singer Mary D. Williams, however, bring Jackson back to soaring life by restoring her status as a major civil rights figure. The authors trace Jackson’s career from bitter poverty in New Orleans to global superstardom, revealing how even after meteoric success, Jackson maintained an unwavering devotion to Black freedom. She worked for independent Black political power in the 1930s and 1940s; performed for the Montgomery Bus Boycott; sang in Birmingham and Selma; and performed at the March on Washington, where she prompted Martin Luther King Jr to “Tell ’em about the dream.” Weaving together Jackson’s inspiring life with her soulful music into one sonically transcendent text, this revisionist biography presents Mahalia Jackson as a guiding light for the Civil Rights Movement, whose message still resonates today.

If we remember Mahalia Jackson, we know her as the greatest gospel singer to ever live. The New York Times best-selling author Timothy B. Tyson and acclaimed gospel singer Mary D. Williams, however, bring Jackson back to soaring life by restoring her status as a major civil rights figure. The authors trace Jackson’s career from bitter poverty in New Orleans to global superstardom, revealing how even after meteoric success, Jackson maintained an unwavering devotion to Black freedom. She worked for independent Black political power in the 1930s and 1940s; performed for the Montgomery Bus Boycott; sang in Birmingham and Selma; and performed at the March on Washington, where she prompted Martin Luther King Jr to “Tell ’em about the dream.” Weaving together Jackson’s inspiring life with her soulful music into one sonically transcendent text, this revisionist biography presents Mahalia Jackson as a guiding light for the Civil Rights Movement, whose message still resonates today.