In this recording within the We Believe Series, Thurman reflects upon the "sorrow songs" of those who were enslaved in America. His remarks speak specifically to the songs that reflect upon the self in relation to a river, such as, "My soul has gone deep like the rivers." The voices of these singers relate their lives to that of a river from a place of deep experientiality. Thurman continues, by relating the unfolding of life to that of a river: a simplistic origin which grows into a complex system, which eventually returns to a wider body, one is able to understand the ways in which humanity is intertwined and shares a common trajectory.

Part of the Collection, We Believe (Television Series, 1958-1965)

Tags: Abraham Lincoln, creativity, Deep River, evolution, experience, interconnectivity, Jordan River, process, river, slavery, spirituals

Description by Dustin Mailman

Recorded in WHDH-TV, Boston, Massachusetts

Citation: Thurman, Howard, “Deep River; Nature of Life (1958-09-26),” The Howard Thurman Digital Archive, accessed July 15, 2024, https://thurman.pitts.emory.edu/items/show/152.