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Bernice Johnson Reagon, Sweet Honey in the Rock vocalist and civil rights activist, dies at 81

BBG News

As a devoted cinema enthusiast who has always been captivated by the intersection of music and social justice movements, I am deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Bernice Johnson Reagon at the age of 81. Her life story is one that resonates deeply with me, as she embodied the power of music in driving change and inspiring communities.

Civil rights advocate and renowned singer Bernice Johnson Reagon, best known for leading groups such as the Freedom Singers and Sweet Honey in the Rock, passed away at the age of 81.

Reagon’s daughter, the musician Toshi Reagon, announced the death in a public Facebook post.

Reagon, a native of Georgia, grew up immersed in activism fueled by deep faith. Raised by a Baptist minister, she pursued her love for music at Albany State University in Albany, Georgia, where MLK was arrested in 1962, inciting widespread outrage. The connection between the civil rights movement and the soulful hymns of Southern Black churches became evident to many.

In an interview with Terry Gross, Reagon expressed that being part of the civil rights movement was like forming a connection akin to one that had previously put Christians in danger of being thrown to lions. For the first time, the significance of those old songs became clear to him in an unteachable way.

Reagan helped establish the Freedom Singers, a vocal ensemble linked to the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, which engaged in civil disobedience activities such as Freedom Rides and sit-ins at racially segregated eateries. The Freedom Singers expressed their goals and hardships through music, as exemplified by the powerful song “They Laid Medgar Evers in His Grave.”

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In the early 1960s, Bernice Johnson tied the knot with Cordell Reagon, the co-founder of the Freedom Singers. Together, they welcomed two children, Kwan and Toshi, before parting ways in 1967. A few years later, Johnson started Sweet Honey in the Rock, an all-female a cappella ensemble that gained widespread recognition with three Grammy nominations and an extensive repertoire of spiritual and socially conscious tunes. The group’s roster underwent continuous change, and Reagon stepped down from the team in 2004.

Reagon played a significant role as an academic advocate for the exploration of African American music heritage. For several decades, she taught history at American University in Washington, D.C. In 1970, she organized the “Black Music Through the Languages of the New World” festival through the Smithsonian. Additionally, in 1972, she collaborated with scholars to establish the African Diaspora program. Furthermore, she initiated and led the Program in Black American Culture at the National Museum of American History.

In 1994, she managed the production of the Peabody Award-winning NPR docuseries “Wade in the Water,” which consisted of 26 parts and explored African American sacred music traditions.

She boasted an impressive collection of accolades in both music and academia. Among them were a doctorate from Howard University, a “genius grant” bestowed by the MacArthur Foundation, and the Charles E. Frankel Prize, which she received along with the Presidential Medal, from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Reagon is left behind by her loving partner, Adisa Douglas, as well as her children Toshi Reagon and Kwan Reagon. They are joined by a cherished grandchild, Tashawn Nicole Reagon, and a large extended family.

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2024-07-22 23:36

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