How a choir of formerly enslaved students saved their university by singing their own songs

Science · Published 20 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: In 1871, Fisk University faced bankruptcy. To survive, a fledgling choir of nine students began touring to raise funds. Initially struggling with classical repertoire, they pivoted to the spirituals of their own heritage. The result was a global sensation that introduced Black spirituals to the world and secured the school’s future.

Founded in 1866, Fisk University was established to educate newly freed African Americans. By 1871, the institution was in dire financial straits. George L. White, the school’s treasurer and music professor, organized a student choir to tour and raise capital. The group initially performed standard Western classical music, but audiences were indifferent. The turning point occurred in Oberlin, Ohio, when the singers, ignored by a distracted crowd, spontaneously began singing 'Steal Away.' This shift to authentic spirituals—music previously kept sacred within religious worship—captivated listeners who had only known the caricatures of minstrel shows.

The group, named the 'Jubilee Singers' by White in reference to the biblical year of liberation, became a cultural phenomenon. During their first 18-month tour, they raised approximately $40,000, enough to fund Jubilee Hall, the university's first permanent building. Their success was international; a 1873 European tour included performances for Queen Victoria and Prime Minister William Gladstone. The Queen was so moved she gifted the group a portrait, which remains at Fisk today. Despite their fame, the original members faced immense personal hardship, often enduring racial prejudice and exhaustion while traveling to save their school.

The legacy of the Jubilee Singers extends beyond their initial fundraising success. They are credited with popularizing the African American spiritual tradition among white and northern audiences who were largely unfamiliar with the genre. The group’s impact was so profound that it inspired the creation of similar choirs, such as the East London Jubilee Singers. While the original nine members sacrificed their own education to ensure the university’s survival—only receiving posthumous diplomas years later—their contribution established a lasting musical tradition that continues to be celebrated, including through the group's later recognition with a National Medal of Arts.

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