Sleeping Giants

by Nathan Mellor

  The Jackson’s three-bedroom, shotgun-style home was located in the Carrollton historic district, known as “The Black Pearl.”7 Thirteen people, including young Mahalia and her 5 siblings, shared the small house.8, 9 Her father, John, was a hardworking man who was described as, “a longshoreman by day, a barber by night, and a clergyman on Sunday.”10 Her mother, Charity, worked as a maid and laundress, and when she died at the age of 25, Mahalia was sent to live with her namesake, Mahalia Clark-Paul, who went by Aunt Duke.11

  It was at the tender age of 4 that Mahalia began singing at the Plymouth Rock Baptist Church on Hillary Street. In time, she would also sing in the Junior Choir at Mount Moriah Missionary Baptist Church on Millaudon Street. During these formative years, singing in the choir became a significant part of her life. It was said that by the age of 12, she “sang on Wednesday, Friday, and four times on Sunday.”12

  To help provide for her family, she left school in the eighth grade and began working as a cook and dishwasher. During that time, another influential figure, Aunt Bell, made a prediction about her niece’s future. She said, “Halie, don’t you worry. You going be famous in this world and walk with kings and queens.” It was an awakening moment that challenged Mahalia’s view of herself. She responded, “You think so, Aunt Bell?” She said, “That’s right, baby. I seen it.” Over time, Mahalia would ask her aunt again and again about her vision, and Aunt Bell’s reply remained constant, “I seen it.”13

  At the age of 16, in the hope of finding better opportunities, Mahalia traveled north with an aunt to Chicago to live with an uncle and study nursing. It would not take long for her powerful voice to be recognized, and she was invited to join the Greater Salem Baptist Church Choir as a soloist. Soon thereafter, she was asked to tour with the famed Johnson Gospel Singers, who were among the first professional gospel groups. Traveling with them, she sang and performed in plays held in churches throughout the area.14 While pursuing her career as a recording artist, she worked numerous jobs to make ends meet. Over the next several years, she worked as a nursemaid, packed dates in a factory, cleaned floors,15 and was a laundress, and beautician.16 Later, when she had become financially successful, she invested in real estate and opened both a beauty shop and florist shop in Chicago.17

  In 1929, she met composer Thomas Dorsey. Dorsey, who is regarded as the “Father of Gospel Music,” helped guide her life and career. The two toured together for over a decade. During that time, she was building the foundation for a fan base that would grow dramatically in future years. It was also during this time that she made a personal commitment to a life of purity—free of secular entertainment. In addition, she determined to only use her voice for spiritual songs.18

  She signed her first recording contract in 1936 with Decca Records. As she transitioned to becoming a professional artist, she also changed the spelling of her name. Prior to this time, she spelled her name Mahala. She added an “i” to become Mahalia.

  Her first record was only moderately successful. Sensing she would have more success by singing the blues, which had more popular appeal, the executives at Decca demanded she change her genre to stay under contract with them. She refused and stuck with her decision only to sing gospel. Her decision cost her the contract with Decca.19

  She was married twice, but both unions ended in divorce. The first was in 1936 to Isaac Hockenhull, who sided with Decca and applied constant pressure for Mahalia to sing secular music. Addicted to gambling, it was thought his motivation for guiding Mahalia’s career was to help fund his betting on racehorses.20 Her first marriage ended in 1941. Her second marriage was to Minters Sigmund Galloway in 1964. The marriage ended in 1967, although there was speculation they were planning to reunite prior to her death in 1972.21

  For the next 11 years, Mahalia honed her craft and became increasingly popular among the African American community and within churches. In 1947, she recorded, “Move On Up a Little Higher,” which was released in 1948. With over two million copies sold, the song became the best-selling gospel song of all time.22

  In what appeared to be an overnight success, she had been discovered. Audiences clamored for the opportunity to see and hear her perform. In 1950, she was invited to Carnegie Hall as the headliner for the First Negro Gospel Music Festival, a watershed moment in the history of gospel music.23

  In 1952, she won a prize from the French Academy for her recording of “I Can Put My Trust in Jesus,” which led to a tour of Europe. Her performance of the Christmas classic “Silent Night,” was a hit in Norway, where it became one of the best-selling records of all time.24 In 1961, Ms. Jackson was honored as the first gospel singer to win a Grammy. In that same year, she sang at the inaugural ball for President John F. Kennedy.

  TELL THEM ABOUT THE DREAM

  As the Civil Rights movement began to take shape, she was called upon to use her growing influence to help support the movement. In 1956, Civil Rights leader, Ralph Abernathy invited Jackson to travel to Montgomery, Alabama to sing at the first anniversary of Rosa Parks’ act of defiance against institutional racism. She traveled by train to the epicenter of the conflict. In the midst of Klansmen, escalating violence, and hecklers, she arrived at the train station. Waiting for her was Abernathy and a young preacher named Martin Luther King Jr. His sermons inspired her, and the two became friends.25

  The friendship between Dr. King and Mahalia was based upon mutual respect. They were both guided by their faith and found their voices in African American churches. In addition, they considered themselves to be messengers of a message given to humanity by God himself. They were not the authors of the message; they were the vessels through which it would be communicated. Although the way they shared the message was different, their motivation to do so appeared to be the same. They both sought to use their voices as a form of worship and devotion. According to Craig Werner, “King gave the movement a vision; Mahalia Jackson gave it a voice.”26

  Clarence Jones, a lawyer and trusted advisor to Dr. King, commented on the depth of their connection. Jones said: “When he was down—or the classic word that’s thrown around today, that word ‘depressed’—he would ask his secretary Dora McDonald, he would say, ‘Dora, get Mahalia on the phone,’” Jones said. “And he would say, ‘Mahalia, I’m having a rough day. Sing for me.’ and Mahalia would sing to him in the phone. He would say, ‘Sing, “Jesus Met the Woman at the Well,” or “The Old Rugged Cross,”’ or other favorites. He would listen to her voice through the phone, and sometimes tears would come down his face.”27

  In 1863, Abraham Lincoln had signed the Emancipation Proclamation, which ended the institution of slavery. One hundred years later, Mahalia, the granddaughter of a slave, was in Washington, D.C. at the request of Dr. King.28 There was to be a March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom on August 28, and he wanted her there. It was one of the critical moments of the Civil Rights movement, and the world was watching.

  The program for the event had several notable speakers, which led up to a speech to be given by King. With the 170-ton marble statue of Abraham Lincoln to her back, she stood in front of a sea of people and sang two spirituals, “I’ve Been ‘Buked and I’ve Been Scorned” and “How I Got Over.” Rabbi Joachim Prinz spoke of life as a rabbi in Berlin under the rule of Hitler, and then King took the podium.29

  Even at the age of 34 years old, King was considered a remarkable communicator. The speech had been thoughtfully crafted, and the message was scripted and clear. In an effort to navigate the complexity of the situation, however, it lacked the directness that those who had heard Dr. King in the past had come to expect. According to Clarence Jones, who had helped write the speech, that was when Mahalia changed the course of history.

  He was reading, and she just shouted to him, “Tell them about the dream, Martin. Tell them about the dream.” I was standing about 50 feet behind him, to the right and the rear, and I watched him—this is all happening in real time—take the te
xt of his speech and move it to the left side of the lectern, grab the lectern and look out.

  One of the world’s greatest gospel singers shouting out to one of the world’s greatest Baptist preachers. She may have ignored the fact that there were almost 300,000 other people there, and she just shouted out to Martin, “Tell them about the dream.” Anybody else who would yell at him, he probably would’ve ignored it. He didn’t ignore Mahalia Jackson.

  I said to somebody standing next to me, “These people don’t know it, but they’re about to go to church.”30

  As early as November 27, 1962, Dr. King had used the phrase, “I have a dream” in a speech given to an audience of 2,000 packed into a gymnasium at the Booker T. Washington High School, a segregated school, in Rocky Mount, North Carolina.31 He picked up the theme again at the Freedom Rally in Detroit on June 23, 1963. This event was held to set the stage for the march in Washington, D.C. just a few months later. Ms. Jackson was at that event in Detroit and heard Dr. King speak about his dream.

  It is worth noting that the Freedom Rally in Detroit nearly did not happen. The concept was due to the vision of Reverend C. L. Franklin, the father of the iconic singer Aretha Franklin, but he was struggling to gain momentum. He had shared the idea with other leaders in the community, but they were not convinced it was a good idea. When Dr. King made it clear to the leaders that he was in favor of the idea, the argument ended and the group unified. Reverend Franklin, according to his daughter, knew who needed to be involved in making the event a success. She said, “It started with Mahalia Jackson, who was a great friend of my dad’s.” She continued, “Harry Belafonte called Mahalia, and she called my dad.” At the time, the rally in Detroit was likely the largest civil-rights demonstration in the history of the United States, until the rally in D.C. later that same year.32

  Then, on that clear August day in Washington, D.C., Dr. King was giving a speech that was strong, but Mahalia knew he was capable of more. When she called out to him, he knew her voice, and he knew her heart. In the video recording of the event, he does not acknowledge her. He does not look her way, but he clearly heard her. Take the time to watch the recording, and you can see the moment. The first 12 minutes of the speech is the portion that was prepared and read by Dr. King. The final 5 minutes is his response to Mahalia’s request to “tell them about the dream.” After hearing her call out, he finished a few more sentences and was likely processing what to do. He then made his decision. He said, “And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow…,” and then he stopped mid-sentence. He scanned the audience and made a choice to go off script. He resumed his speech with the words, “I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.”33

  A meaningful speech given by a capable communicator became a timeless speech for the ages. The enduring greatness of the speech was due in large part to two people dedicated to a common purpose who were willing to push one another toward their greatest potential. This way of living, the choice to see the best in others, is not only the basis for great friendships but also the foundation for a meaningful life.

  Upon her death on January 27, 1972, over 50,000 people passed by her casket. Harry Belafonte stated that Ms. Jackson was “the single most powerful black woman in the United States.” He added that she was the “the womanpower for the grassroots” and there was not “a single field hand, a single black worker, a single black intellectual who did not respond to her civil rights message.”34

  There are times in life when you will be called upon to be the person who stands behind the podium and give your “I Have A Dream” speech. There will be times when you will be called upon to prompt someone else as they contemplate their path forward. From an early age, Mahalia knew her purpose, and she had pursued it for decades. She would often say, “Gospel songs are the songs of hope. When you sing gospel, you have the feeling there is a cure for what’s wrong.”35 She sang to heal the soul, and she used her influence to help others who were dedicated to bringing healing as well.

  ACTIVATION

  Mahalia believed she was destined to do great things because of the encouragement she received from her family. When her Aunt Bell told her that she would be famous and “walk with kings and queens,” it changed her. She trusted her aunt and believed that what she said could come true. She had been activated.

  On August 28, 1963, Mahalia Jackson awakened a giant. In so doing, Dr. King gave voice to a movement. Because of Mahalia’s insight and courage, the world would be changed forever. The following is an excerpt from a sermon delivered by Dr. King in 1968. The sermon was titled “The Drum Major Instinct.” It is a remarkable example of a leader seeking to awaken the sleeping giants who were sitting in the church pews that evening. The people listening to him that night had believed they were powerless to change the world and that they lacked the ability to be great. Dr. King rejected this belief and offered a transformative alternative.

  Everybody can be great because everybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and your verb agree to serve. You don’t have to know about Plato and Aristotle to serve. You don’t have to know Einstein’s ‘Theory of Relativity’ to serve. You don’t have to know the Second Theory of Thermal Dynamics in Physics to serve. You only need a heart full of grace, a soul generated by love.36

  The moment when Mahalia called out to Dr. King to tell the audience about the dream is a pivotal moment in history. It is also an example of how a single sentence, uttered by the right person at the right time, can redirect someone’s entire life. Mahalia’s mental model had been shaped by a sentence from her Aunt Bell who had believed her niece would walk with royalty. Dr. King’s life was changed when Mahalia, who knew him and knew his capabilities, used her voice to encourage him to give voice to a movement. It is worth noting that she did not challenge Dr. King to tell the audience about his dream. She told him to tell the audience about the dream. She reminded him that he was the messenger, but the message was not his own. He heard her voice and when he looked out over the sea of people who were looking to him, he was transformed. He was not simply an orator, or a civil rights leader; he was a prophet of God proclaiming freedom. In one sentence, Mahalia had helped awaken a giant and the world would never be the same.

  Who are you serving?

  Who are you helping activate?

  Part THREE

  A New Mindset

  Chapter 8

  “2M2N”

  Freedom in Mile 2

  If you appreciate good customer service, you are probably familiar with the Atlanta-based restaurant chain Chick-fil-A. According to research conducted by QSR (Quick Service Restaurant) Magazine, they are the friendliest drive-through of any chain in the United States.1 In all honesty, I did not know much about them when I had the opportunity to meet the founder of the company, Mr. Truett Cathy, in 2008. Before that meeting, I would eat at Chick-fil-A on occasion and was impressed with their community involvement, but I did not know much of the backstory that had shaped their founder and his company.

  It is worth noting that the reason I got to know Mr. Cathy was because of his generosity. At the time, I was working on a project designed to help develop future leaders. As is the case with virtually all non-profits, it can be difficult to find consistent funding. Consequently, when we received an unsolicited check from Chick-fil-A for $10,000, we were both surprised and extremely thankful. We connected with their corporate office to learn more about how they found out about the program and to express our appreciation.

  Around the same time, we were planning to revive an awards event that had been launched a generation earlier. The original program had honored Oklahoma native Sam Walton. Based on the connection with Mr. Cathy, we invited him to receive the same honor. In addition, we asked if he would speak to a group of community leaders the next day. Amazingly, he accepted the invitation and waived any speaking fe
es.

  I found him to be a fascinating person. Although he was already in his mid-80s when I met him, he retained his charm, enthusiasm, and energy level. When he took the stage at the event, he was a hit. The audience enjoyed every minute of his presentation.

  When Mr. Cathy came to Oklahoma City, his son Dan accompanied him along with a few representatives from the company. Mr. Cathy was very proud of Dan, and when he was speaking to a small group of community leaders on the second day of his trip, he told them of Dan’s musical ability. Unexpectedly, he asked Dan if he had his trumpet with him, and after a quick trip to the car to retrieve it, he returned and he played for the small group of leaders. Although Mr. Cathy shared some helpful insights, I think one of the biggest takeaways for me was the joy he had in being able to hear his son play the trumpet.

  As Mr. Cathy departed, he said to our group, “If you are ever in Atlanta, drop by and say, ‘hello.’” Over the next couple of years, a colleague and I would take him up on his offer twice. Both trips were memorable learning experiences.

  The Chick-fil-A corporate office is just a few miles from the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Because of the office’s proximity to the world’s busiest airport, I was surprised when we drove onto the wooded campus. I was not expecting 73 acres complete with nature trails and a small lake.

  We parked our car in a guest parking area and made our way toward the building. Among the first things one encounters on the way to the front doors is a plaque that states Chick-fil-A’s famous corporate purpose. The purpose is widely known because of its connection to its founder’s faith and because it does not mention chicken. The purpose includes two key thoughts: 1) to glorify God by being a faithful steward of all that is entrusted to us and 2) to have a positive influence on all who come in contact with Chick-fil-A.2