Mahalia Jackson, Moving on Up a Little Higher // The Story of an American Civil Rights Pioneer

If Americans remember Mahalia Jackson at all, they know her as the greatest gospel singer to ever live.New York Timesbest-selling author Timothy B. Tyson and acclaimed gospel singer Mary D. Williams, however, bring Jackson back to soaring life by restoring her status as a major civil rights figure. The authors trace Jackson’s career from bitter poverty in New Orleans to global superstardom, revealing how even after meteoric success, Jackson maintained an unwavering devotion to Black freedom. She worked for independent Black political power in the 1930s and 1940s; performed for the Montgomery Bus Boycott; sang in Birmingham and Selma; and performed at the March on Washington, where she prompted Martin Luther King Jr. to “Tell ’em about the dream.” Weaving together Jackson’s inspiring life with her soulful music into one sonically transcendent text, this revisionist biography presents Mahalia Jackson as a guiding light for the Civil Rights Movement, whose message still speaks to our struggles today.

Timothy B. Tysonis senior research scholar at the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University and the author of five books, includingNew York TimesbestsellerThe Blood of Emmett Till.

Mary D. Williamsis a gospel singer, civil rights historian, and former adjunct professor at Duke University. She has performed at the Kennedy Center and the Metropolitan Museum of Art and lives in Garner, North Carolina.

• Publisher: Liveright Publishing Corporation
• Publish Date: August 18, 2026
• Pages: 256
• Language: English
• Type: Hardback
• EAN/UPC: 9781324094616
• Dimensions: 9 in H | 6 in W | 0.95 lb
• BISAC Categories: Biography & Memoir, Music, Film & Performing Arts