MADE IN AMERICA: The Black American Roots of Gospel Music A Special Feature by Mona Austin | The Slice News The notion that gospel music originated anywhere other than America is a fallacy — and the historical record deserves to be set straight. Gospel music is uniquely a Black American art form. It was not born in Africa. Ut's lyrics are a source of survival and strength that is locked into the DNA of Blacks. Though it was created by the descendants of African slaves, its roots are firmly planted in American soil, shaped by the American experience, and documented within the American Christian tradition. According to the Library of Congress, its first recordings emerged from the Black Protestant Christian tradition in the 1930s. No serious student of music history or academic scholar places its origins outside of the United States or detaches it from Black American culture. By definition, gospel music is the marriage of Biblical words and themes with Black folk rhythm and ha...