Black Gospel Archive receives $2.5 million grant for expansion

By Emily Schoch | Staff writer

Baylor University’s Black Gospel Archive and Listening Center has received a $2.5 million grant, paving the way for significant expansion of its collections and programming, including hosting concerts and community events.

The Black Gospel Archive and Listening Center, located in Baylor’s Moody Memorial Library, is a place where students can go to experience the rich history of gospel music. The Lilly Endowment funds the grant that enables the archive to receive $200,000 to be used for exhibits celebrating black gospel music. The opening of the exhibitions allows for new staff positions.

Jeffry Archer, Dean of Libraries, Museums and the Press at Baylor University, explained how the Black Gospel Archive will be impacted by the Lilly Endowment.

“Today, the Lilly Endowment Inc. grant provides the Libraries with important funds we will use to introduce an ever-expanding Black Gospel Archive to new communities, not only in Waco, but in places like Detroit, Chicago, and even worldwide through our digital collections ,” Archer said.

The Lilly Endowment will also be used to develop an online version of Royce-Darden’s collection of black gospel music. The Royce-Darden Collection has been recognized nationally for its ability to preserve rare recordings of black gospel music.

Robert Darden, retired professor of journalism at Baylor, is credited with starting the university’s Black gospel music preservation program in 2005.

The Lilly Endowment is among the largest grants made to the Baylor library system. The grant comes from the Lilly Endowment Religion and Cultural Institutions Initiative with a mission to “support museums and other cultural institutions throughout the United States in developing exhibits and educational programs that fairly and accurately portray the role of religion in the United States and around the world.”

The Black Gospel Archive is a creative way for students, faculty and the public to experience the history and culture of gospel music. Archer emphasizes that students will benefit from the improvements to the Black Gospel Archive, making information about the legacy and importance of black artists to the community available to all students. Archer said he is excited about the improvements that will come with the grant.

“Here at Baylor, we believe in the expanded BGA (Black Gospel Archive) Listening Center will be a great resource for our faculty and students to showcase ways they can engage with these important materials and learn more about the important contributions of black singers, songwriters, preachers and community leaders at the local and national level,” said Archer.

Colleyville sophomore Audrey Jarrett said the grant goes to a good cause and she is excited to see the collection expand.

“I personally think it’s very important to have representation supported around campus, and the Black Gospel Archive is a perfect example of that,” Jarrett said. “$2.5 million is a lot of money that will be used for such a good cause, to create a space where people can interact with the past and present, learn about black music and influential people.”