February 9: Mary Lou Williams & Sr. Thea Bowman and the African American Classical Tradition
by Fr. Matthew Hawkins
Mary Lou Williams and Sister Thea Bowman embodied the African American classical tradition through their mastery of their respective fields, their commitment to intellectual and artistic excellence, their integration of spirituality and aesthetics, and their role as cultural educators and bridge-builders. They upheld and advanced Black artistic and intellectual traditions within the Catholic Church and the broader American cultural landscape, ensuring that Black voices and contributions were recognized and valued.
The classical tradition in African American culture emphasizes discipline, mastery, and the refinement of artistic and intellectual gifts. Mary Lou Williams was a virtuoso jazz pianist and composer who intensely studied and shaped jazz as an evolving art form, treating it with the same seriousness and depth as European classical music. She engaged with tradition while innovating within it, much like classical composers did. Sister Thea Bowman was a scholar of literature and linguistics, a highly trained educator, and a compelling speaker. She insisted on intellectual rigor in Black Catholic spirituality, ensuring that faith and culture were engaged with depth and authenticity.
In the classical African American tradition, art is not simply for entertainment but is often an expression of something deeper—whether it be spiritual, communal, or intellectual. Williams' jazz compositions fused sacred music with the rich traditions of Black American music, treating jazz as an intellectual and spiritual art form rather than mere entertainment. Bowman integrated Black spirituals and Gospel music into Catholic liturgy, elevating them as serious, dignified expressions of faith and heritage rather than marginal or secondary.
The classical tradition in African American culture values the role of educators and mentors who pass down knowledge and cultivate the next generation. Williams mentored jazz musicians, including Thelonious Monk, Dizzy Gillespie, and Bud Powell, ensuring that jazz’s artistic and cultural legacy endured. As a professor and public speaker, Bowman taught Black and white Catholics about Black history, literature, and spirituality, helping preserve and elevate Black Catholic culture within the Church.
The African American classical tradition aims to transcend social barriers, asserting the dignity of Black culture within broader intellectual and artistic circles. Williams’ music was embraced beyond racial boundaries, with her compositions and performances respected within the jazz world and the Catholic Church. Bowman addressed the U.S. bishops and spoke internationally, bringing the richness of Black Catholic spirituality to a wider audience.
Figures in the classical African American tradition faced resistance in their efforts to claim space within institutions that historically marginalized Black contributions and within the Black community itself that often succumbed to a distorted image of itself as irrational and lacking dignity. Williams had to fight for jazz’s recognition as a serious musical form within the Church and among traditionalist Catholics who viewed jazz as profane. Bowman faced resistance from both Black and white Catholics—some Black Catholics saw her approach as too accommodating to European values and standards. In contrast, many white Catholics resisted incorporating the dignity of African American spirituality into the mainstream of Catholic worship.
Ultimately, Bowman and Williams were pioneers who used their gifts to bring about greater appreciation for Catholicism among Black Americans and appreciation for African American spirituality in the Catholic Church.
February 2 Pastoral Message: Black History Month
by Fr. Matthew Hawkins
Black History Month offers an opportunity to delve deeper into the rich heritage of the African American experience. Beyond celebrating a few iconic figures, it invites us to explore the classical traditions that shaped the community, traditions rooted in faith, resilience, and a profound spiritual heritage.
Central to this heritage are the Spirituals, those soul-stirring songs that emerged from the crucible of suffering and hope. Sung a cappella, they stand as a testament to collective strength, resisting the radical individualism that often marks modern performance. The power of the Spirituals lies in their communal nature; they demand harmony, cooperation, and a shared vision. These songs express human paradoxes—joy amid sorrow, freedom amidst bondage—resolving them in the profound encounter between the heavenly and the worldly.
This tradition finds its voice in the works of Paul Laurence Dunbar, Ralph Ellison, and August Wilson in literature. Dunbar navigated the delicate balance between vernacular expression and classical poetic forms, illustrating the dual consciousness that has long defined the African American experience. Ellison and Wilson further explored themes of identity, culture, and resilience, giving voice to the struggles and triumphs of a people whose lives embody the tension between tradition and innovation.
The classical tradition is equally evident in the lives of figures like Fr. Augustus Tolton, Henriette DeLille, Julia Greeley, Pierre Toussaint, Sister Thea Bowman, and Mother Mary Lange. These individuals, deeply rooted in their faith, demonstrated the universality of the Catholic Church while celebrating the distinct cultural expressions of the African diaspora. Their lives were acts of spiritual and cultural bridge-building, uniting diverse traditions under a shared banner of faith and dignity.
Frederick Douglass and Martin Luther King Jr. exemplified this heritage in social and political action. Douglass, though not explicitly religious in his later years, embodied the dignity of enslaved people and used moral suasion to advocate for justice. King elevated the civil rights movement into a moral and spiritual call for the transformation of both the oppressed and the oppressor, drawing from the wellspring of the African American religious tradition.
The performing arts also reflect this legacy. Actors like Sidney Poitier, Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, Esther Rolle, and John Amos brought classical dramatic skills to their work, while Paul Robeson and Marian Anderson carried forward the Spirituals’ legacy with dignity and grace. Jazz musicians such as Charles Mingus, Thelonious Monk, and John Coltrane drew on this deep reservoir of spiritual and cultural heritage, transforming it into innovative forms of expression. Mingus infused his compositions with the essence of gospel music, Monk relied on precision and intellect, and Coltrane sought transcendence through meditative soundscapes.
This tradition continues today, embodied in places like the choir at St. Benedict the Moor. Expanding this choir to include a broader spectrum of African and African diasporan music will ensure that this classical tradition remains vibrant in our liturgical celebrations.
To truly understand Black History Month, one must appreciate the spiritual and classical heritage at its core. It is this culture and faith, deeply rooted in community, that produced the extraordinary men and women we honor—not only in February but throughout the year. Exploring this tradition is not just an act of remembrance; it’s a step toward embracing the enduring legacy of African American culture.