GREEN COVE SPRINGS - In honor of Black History Month, the Friends of Augusta Savage sang with hearts full of pride at their musical program last Saturday.

Held at Mt. Zion AME Church, the Evolution of Black Sacred Music event aimed to tell the story of African American survival and prosperity during harsh times in U.S. history — solely through song. 

Featuring a collection of gospel songs journeying through slavery to post emancipation, each sang by the choir told the story of important turning points in Black American history — along with soulful narrating from Rev. Rose Wilson.

From the fields of the south and the coded messages written in song for the Underground Railroad, to the preservation of Negro Spirituals and freedom anthems during the Civil Rights Movement, the program was full of remembrance.

The program also included emphasis on African American trailblazers such as Dr. Thomas Dorsey, Mahalia Jackson, the Fisk Jubilee Singers, the Clara Ward Singers and even MC Hammer — with his introduction of the Christian rap genre.