Wallace Willis

**Wallace Willis** was a Choctaw freedman living in the Indian Territory, in what is now Choctaw County, near the city of Hugo, Oklahoma. His dates are unclear: perhaps 1820 to 1880. He is credited with composing several Negro spirituals. Most historians believe Wallace is buried in an unmarked grave located within the slave burial section of the old Doaksville Cemetery.

## 1820's—1831: Beginnings in Mississippi and The Trail of Tears

The story of Wallace Willis begins on a plantation in Holly Springs, Mississippi. Wallace “Uncle” Willis and his wife, "Aunt" Minerva, were slaves of Britt Willis, a wealthy half-Irish, half-Choctaw farmer. When the Choctaws were relocated by the United States government as a result of the Treaty of Dancing Rabbit, Britt Willis walked the Trail of Tears with his Choctaw wife to Indian Territory. Among the 300 slaves that made the trip with Britt were Wallace and Minerva.

## 1831—1848: Slavery and *Swing Low, Sweet Chariot*

The group settled near Doaksville, Oklahoma, which is located near present-day Hugo and Fort Towson. It was here that Wallace composed “plantation songs” while working the cotton fields of Britt Willis. Britt’s granddaughter, Jimmie Kirby, recalled: “Mama said it was on a hot August day in 1840. They were hoeing the long rows of cotton in the rich bottomland field. No doubt [Wallace] was very tired. They worked in the fields from sun-up to sundown. And sundown was a long way off. South of the field, he could see the Red River shimmering in the sun. Can’t you just imagine that suddenly Uncle Wallace was tired of it all?” And so “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” was born.

It is proposed the sight of the Red River, by which he was toiling, reminded him of the Jordan River and of the Prophet Elijah's being taken to heaven by a chariot (2 Kings 2:11). Some sources claim that this song and "Steal Away to Jesus" had lyrics that referred to the Underground Railroad, the freedom movement that helped black people escape from Southern slavery to the North and Canada.

## 1849—1870: Spencer Academy and the Start of the Civil War

In addition to the usual chores done for the family, Willis hired the couple periodically to Spencer Academy, a Choctaw boys' school, to help with the work there. In 1849 Rev. Alexander Reid came to the academy as the superintendent. During the next twelve years Reid and his family grew to love the couple and their music. They were great favorites of the students during these periods because of the songs they sang while they worked. Uncle Wallace composed "plantation songs" as he worked in the fields. His wife, Minerva, would sing along with him when they were asked to perform the songs for the students in the evenings. The songs composed by Uncle Wallace became well-known "spirituals." "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot," "Roll, Jordan, Roll," "Steal Away to Jesus," "I'm A-Rollin', I'm A-Rollin'," and "The Angels Are A-Comin'" are among the most popular and best loved.

When the Civil War began in 1861, John Kingsbury, son of Rev. Cyrus Kingsbury, took Wallace, Minerva, and some of their children to Old Boggy Depot for protection. Later that year Rev. Reid's wife died after bearing his third child. In 1869 Reid and his children returned to Princeton, New Jersey, for the purpose of enrolling his children in eastern schools.

## 1871—1883: The Jubilee Singers

In 1871 the Jubilee Singers of Fisk University began a fund-raising tour for education work among the freedmen. They scheduled performances in several eastern cities, including New York City and surrounding suburbs. Rev. Reid, with his family and some friends, attended a performance in Newark. Professor G. White, the leader of the singing group, made an announcement to the large audience that due to a lack of material, subsequent performances would be a repeat of the material that had just been heard. At that point, Reid remembered the songs created by Wallace and Minerva. He communicated this information to Professor White, who was delighted to hear of the existence of more "plantation songs" and was willing to have them taught to the Jubilees. Reid had no musical education and therefore resorted to writing down the words and singing the songs over and over to the eleven members of the group until the music was firmly fixed in memory.

Reid gave six songs to the group, including "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot," "I'm A-Rollin', I'm A-Rollin'," and "Steal Away to Jesus." The songs were sung throughout the country and in Europe and became standard performance material for the Jubilee Singers. It is said that during a performance in London, England's Queen Victoria requested an encore of "Steal Away to Jesus." The popularity of both the Jubilee Singers and the songs they sang continued to grow. In 1883 Reverend Reid requested that photographs be made of Uncle Wallace and Aunt Minerva Willis, which he sent to Fisk University in remembrance of their musical contributions.

## 1900s—Present

In 1939, Nazi Germany's Reich Music Examination Office added "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" to a listing of "undesired and harmful" musical works.

The song enjoyed a resurgence during the 1960s Civil Rights struggle and the folk revival. It was performed by a number of artists. Perhaps the most famous performance during this period was that by Joan Baez during the legendary 1969 Woodstock festival.

Oklahoma State Senator Judy Eason McIntyre from Tulsa proposed a bill nominating "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" as the Oklahoma State official gospel song in 2011. The bill was co-sponsored by the Oklahoma State Black Congressional Caucus. Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin signed the bill into law on May 5, 2011, at a ceremony at the Oklahoma Cowboy Hall of Fame making the song the official Oklahoma State Gospel Song.

## Compositions

* *I'm A-Rollin', I'm A-Rollin'*
* *Roll, Jordan, Roll*
* *Swing Low, Sweet Chariot*
* *Steal Away to Jesus*
* *The Angels are A-Coming*