Research compiled by Dwyan W., Alondra P., Matthew R., Destanee B., Nyapuot J., and Jared P.
The church has been very important to the African American community in Omaha. Within these churches, gospel music has been an essential force, adding movement, energy, personal expression, improvisation, and emotion in another form of preaching to the congregation. North Omaha has experienced no shortage of gospel groups over the decades, from quartets and quintets to choirs and choruses. Its groups have traveled the region and country and gospel groups from surrounding areas have been brought in to join in worship. Gospel music has been and remains a key feature of church services here and the group thanks Cherrese Ashby, Michael Dryver, Delores Matthews, and Willie Mae Williams for offering their assistance in better understanding its role. The photograph above shows Cherrese singing at her church, Paradise Missionary Baptist Church.
Published on August 5, 2017 Students created this documentary as part of the OPS Making Invisible Histories Visible initiative.