When Mary D. Williams Sings
The gospel singer, historian, and educator has a voice and a presence that demands attention.
Mary D. Williams captures the hearts and minds of people across our state and region who’ve witnessed her chronicle the history of the Civil Rights movement through song.
Born and raised in Garner, NC, Williams grew up spending summer with her grandparents in Smithfield, NC. Music was an integral part of her daily life—her father was a quartet singer and her grandmother was always singing.
In a typical performance, Williams weaves together African American spirituals from the Civil War era with more modern anthems of the Civil Rights Movement, connecting generations of music and social change.
Mary D. Williams artist profile by the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.
“The African American slaves talked about the power of the music. It was a way of communicating something over and above what the overseer could understand. The slave community understood exactly what every song meant. It was a way of escape,” says Williams. “The thing about the songs of the enslaved is that they always looked upward. I’m not in slavery, but there are still issues and concerns of our day and trials and tribulations…and the power of a song is a way that you can deliver your own soul.”
When asked what makes North Carolina music special, Williams says, “North Carolina just has such a presence. We have a lot of history. It is complicated, but in that complication, songs have come up out of it. It came up out of the burden. It comes up out of sorrow, joy, and happiness. It comes up out of family, and I think that’s what makes people feel it. You’re not just singing something as an empty shell. You literally have lived it, and then you’re able to share it. That, again, makes a community.”
A performer and historian, Williams is a leading voice and authority on the narrative of music and Black southern culture. Recognized as one of the best gospel singers in the country, Ms. Williams believes the music of her ancestors still has the power to bring people together today, as it did during slavery and the Civil Rights Movement.
Mary D. Williams Sings Songs of Protest and Promise
Gospel singer and educator Mary D. Williams takes us on a soul stirring journey through the music from the Civil Rights Movement. Her July 3, 2019 performance on the Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage, offers a powerful message of faith, freedom, and celebration of the human spirit.
