LAS Historian Dr. Johari Jabir on the Healing Power of Black Sacred Music
Explore the rich intersections of music, history, and identity in this preview of Dr. Jabir’s research—and don’t miss his upcoming lecture on the sonic legacy of gospel legend Rev. James Cleveland.
Name: Johari Jabir
Title: Associate Professor
Department: Black Studies
Interview with Johari Jabir
What inspired you to focus on the 1st South Carolina Volunteers as the foundation for your book, Conjuring Freedom?
I was inspired to explore the 1st South Carolina Volunteers because of my questions Rev. James Cleveland, namely I wondered far back in history did the tradition of Black sacred singing and Black masculinity go.
Can you talk about your research process—how did you uncover and interpret the musical and cultural practices of these soldiers?
I’m trained as a historian, so I located the lyrics to their songs in an original document published in 1871.
Your work bridges music, history, Black studies, and performance. How do you navigate these interdisciplinary spaces in your scholarship and teaching?
I try to mimic the interdisciplinary by using multi-sensory forms of information. I use music a lot, and think of it as a knowledge.
How does your identity as a musician shape your approach to academic inquiry and storytelling?
As a musician and historian I am a storyteller, so I am often researching stories. They just happen to coincide for me.
How does Conjuring Freedom connect to your current project on Rev. James Cleveland, and what continuities or evolutions do you see in your scholarly journey?
The connection between the two projects is Conjure and Black Sacred Music, and the politics of religion and intersectionality. I want to deepen my work as a roots musician, and continue to allow that depth to inform my scholarship.
Describe some of your ongoing research as a faculty member at UIC, particularly your current participation in the Faculty Fellow program at the Institute for the Humanities. What has this experience been like for your scholarship?
My research on Black religion is ongoing, and that is the basis for my project on Cleveland.
What do you hope students gain through their experience in the Black Studies department at UIC?
I hope students come to appreciate how critically vast and relevant Black Studies is.
Upcoming Faculty Fellow Lecture
Discover how sound, spirituality, and social justice converge in “Peace Be Still: Sonic Politics and Social Medicine in the Music of Rev. James Cleveland, the King of Gospel Music.” Dr. Johari Jabir—artist, scholar, and Faculty Fellow at the Institute for the Humanities—will present this thought-provoking lecture on September 24, 2025.