Divinity School Harambee Group Hosts Screening of Henry Louis Gates Jr.’s New Docuseries

Faculty and staff from across Harvard gathered Tuesday night for a screening of “Gospel,” a new docuseries produced and hosted by University Professor Henry Louis Gates Jr.

The event was hosted by HDS Harambee Students of African Descent, a club for students of African descent at the Harvard Divinity School, and consisted of a reception followed by a screening of excerpts from the series. The screening was followed by a panel discussion with Gates, the Dean of the Harvard Divinity School Marla F. Frederick, and HDS professor Ahmad Greene-Hayes.

In Gospel, a four-part docuseries by PBS, Gates explores the rise and role of Black gospel music in American popular culture and social movements.

“I wanted to analyze gospel on a formal basis as music but also then still analyze Black preaching on a formal basis as well. And we brought these two things together,” Gates said in a panel at the event.

In a written statement, Elom Tettey-Tamaklo — a member of Harambee who was suspended from his Harvard College proctor role following his involvement in a viral pro-Palestine demonstration — wrote that the “inspiration for this event was the desire to share with the larger campus community the rich gospel tradition that is so fundamental to Black history.”

“Regardless of whether people are spiritual, secular or somewhere in-between, the gospel tradition has always been a powerful force in igniting personal, social and institutional change,” Tettey-Tamaklo wrote.

During the panel, Gates described his own relationship with faith, citing a period of devotion between the ages of 12 and 14, after which time he began to feel like a hypocrite because of his belief in modern science. But his interest in the Black church did not go away with his regular attendance.

“I don't think anybody would call me a Christian or whatever, but I love going to church. I love it. And I don't mean a Roman Catholic Church. I love a Black church that is rocking,” Gates said.

“So I wanted to celebrate two of the great art forms in the history of our people and in the history of the United States: Black preaching and Black music,” he added.

Some attendees expressed their excitement about the series and the screening.

Everton L. Blair Jr. ’13, a doctoral candidate at the Graduate School of Education, said that he was “excited about this event because I grew up in the church.”

“My grandfather was a pastor. My mom was a minister of music, gospel music was pretty much always around the household. And I just want to hear what Skip Gates has to say, what Dean Frederick has to say and what Dr. Ahmad Greene-Hayes has to say, and then see a really good screening,” Blair said.

—Staff writer Hannah W. Duane can be reached at hannah.duane@thecrimson.com.