Deep River
A digital archive of Negro spirituals — preserving the songs, stories, and scholarship of a tradition born from the deepest suffering and the most enduring hope.
These songs belong to Black Americans. This archive exists to honor that, and to make the history and scholarship surrounding these works freely accessible to all.
The archive is organized around four scholarly collections — Du Bois, Fisk, Hampton, and Lomax — and draws on primary sources and peer scholarship. Read more about our editorial approach and cultural commitments.
Featured spiritual
Ain't Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around
Ain't Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me 'Round; Don't Let Nobody Turn You Around
A direct descendant of the spiritual tradition adapted into a mass-meeting freedom song — the older 'Don't let nobody turn you 'round' refusal carried out of the church and onto the streets of Albany, Birmingham, and Selma. The verbs change with the moment; the refusal is the same.
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Explore the archive
Browse and search 20 documented spirituals, filterable by era, region, theme, and scholarly collection.