The Songs of Reba Love Jackson
By John Edgar Wideman, first published in Damballah
A Black singer moves her community through the power of song throughout the tumultuous 20th century as she sings everything from blues to gospel music.
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Plot Summary
Reba Love is a singer who is beloved by everyone in her community. Starting out as a young girl singing with her church, she quickly gained notoriety for singing gospel, blues, and funeral songs. With the help of her diligent mother, Reba soon began to travel around the United States singing, however, she never forgot her roots. Reba first sang after witnessing a blind man in church who was attempting to repent for his sins. Hearing how difficult a life he had lived, Reba took gratitude for the much easier route that God led her down. So, to comfort the man, she sings him a song about salvation. Down the line, she would sing at funerals and churches, taking time out of her busy career to sing songs over the phone for her old friends back home, including one whose mother passed recently. Once she's made a name for herself in the Black community through gospel songs, she branches out, eventually singing during the Civil Rights Movement. In a radio interview, she recalls how White northerners were some of the most heinous, racist people she encountered; thus, they prompted her to join the movement. Coming across a blind man being abused, pushed down a flight of stairs, Reba finds her inspiration anew. She sings for the blind man just as she had all those years ago, igniting something in his soul. Finally, after an illustrious career, Reba chooses to sing one last song for her hometown in Pittsburgh. Remembering her mother, Reba admits that she cherishes every moment she got to spend with her and begins singing a hefty blues song to honor her roots.
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