Harlem Walking Tour The Black Church And The Rise Of Gospel Music

15 Reviews5.00 out of 5 stars Based on 15 adventurer reviews collected by Top10Adventures® and TripAdvisor | New York City, USA

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3 to 4 hours (Approx.)
Mobile Ticket

Overview

The tour is conducted by a New York City licensed tour guide. We offer this tour in French or English. Our tour guides are native speakers if each languages. In this tour we will visit 9 landmark sites which include the first Black Episcopal, Methodist, Pentecostal, and Baptist churches. We will examine their history, their leaders, and their role in the anti-slavery movement as well as the civil rights movement. This tour also looks at the role of Gospel music in the history of the Black church. We will study its growth from the ring shout (the foundation of all African American music), to the Spirituals, the role of the Protestant hymnals, ending with what became known as Gospel Blues, today simply called Gospel music. The tour ends with a visit to a church service where we will listen to a live Gospel choir, it is not a concert but a real church service.

What's Included

  • A Licensed New York city born Tour Guide with a portable video and audio system.
  • Gratuities (Optional)
  • Hotel Pick Up

Meeting Location

Meeting point

525 Malcolm X Blvd, New York, NY 10037, USA

Open in Google Maps

Take the #2 or #3 train to 135th Street stop. Walk in front of Harlem Hospital, cross the street and wait in front of the Dunkin Donut store. There are other tours companies, do not go to any tour guide. Our guides, Sylvie or Donald will come and pick you up.

End point

Harlem, New York, NY 10027, USA

Bethel Gospel Assembly Church

What To Expect

Abyssinian Baptist Church

Our license tour guide will share with you the history of this church. Founded in 1808, Abyssinian Baptist Church is one of the oldest African-American Baptist churches in the United States. Housed in a landmark Gothic- and Tudor-style building in Harlem, Abyssinian embraces a rich history of worship, spiritual leadership, social activism and community service.
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20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Mother African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church

Our licensed tour guide will share with you the history of this church. "The Freedom Church" was formed in 1796 by African-American members of the predominantly white John Street Methodist Church. Although that church was abolitionist in its orientation, racial segregation was still enforced in other ways. As one A.M.E. Zion historian described it: The colored members were not permitted to come to the sacrament (Holy Communion) until all the white members, even children, had communedhe first church foundation stone was laid in 1819, and the first rector, serving from 1826 to 1840, was the Rev. Peter Williams, Jr., a leading abolitionist and the first African-American Episcopal priest in New York. He was one of three blacks who served on the first executive committee of the American Anti-Slavery Society
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20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

St Philip's Church

Our licensed tour guide will share with you the rich history of this landmark. This was W.E.B. Dubois and Thurgood Marshall's church. Rev. Peter Williams, Jr., a leading abolitionist and the first African-American Episcopal priest in New York. He was one of three blacks who served on the first executive committee of the American Anti-Slavery Society
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20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Bethel Gospel Assembly

Our licensed tour guide makes reservations to secure our visitors seats. We will end the tour here. Experience an authentic Sunday morning worship service. This congregation and its members are warm and well coming. The choir gospel and the band are excellent. Very often they are special musical services with gospel music celebrities such as Israel Houghton, Tasha Cobbs, Hezekiah Walker, Johnathan Nelson among others... We do recommend that you stay throughout the whole service, however we do understand if you have to leave.
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1 hour 30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Apollo Theater

The iconic, world famous theater where countless musicians, comedians have performed.
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5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Show 3 more stops

Additional Info

  • Confirmation will be received within 48 hours of booking, subject to availability
  • Wheelchair accessible
  • Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
  • Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
  • All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
  • Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

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Activity code: C-386436P1

Reviews

5.00
15 reviews

Average 5.00 out of 5 stars based on 15 adventurer reviews collected by Top10Adventures® and partner sites such as Cool Destinations and TripAdvisor

5 stars
15
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3 stars
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1 star
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