A LEgacy of Hope

A legacy can describe something that is transferred from one generation to the next. Hope can describe an attitude of expectation for a positive outcome or change. When combined, a “legacy of hope” is the transference of an optimistic attitude to future generations. The composers of early concert spirituals advanced this attitude in the face of resistance and barriers based on their race. Through it all, their optimism never faltered. They held “faith in the ultimate justice of things;”[1] their strength is a legacy of hope for our generation. This legacy reflects a constant striving for a future better than the past.

W. E. B. Dubois, The Souls of Black Folk (1903) [1]