The Legendary Ingramettes

Africa has always been a continent rich with diverse cultural traditions and musical styles. The slave trade in the U.S. and Caribbean tore many Africans from their families and homes, forcing them across the dangerous waters of the Atlantic. Despite these tragic circumstances, enslaved Africans were able to hold on to many important parts of their musical and cultural traditions. These traditions included drumming, dancing and spiritual songs passed down through the generations. In America, these cultural traditions changed over time to include Christian spiritual stories and ideas. Although the slaveholders rarely allowed enslaved people to gather, they often did accept coming together for Christian worship. There, against the cruelty of slavery, the enslaved people created communities, shared ideas, lifted spirits and brought into being Black gospel music. Gospel also came from a style of singing called Spirituals. Spirituals are often sung in a “call and response” style, meaning that a verse is first sung by a leader and then repeated or answered by a larger group of singers.

When many Black communities migrated from the rural areas of the South to cities in the 1900s, they carried their religious culture with them. In cities like Chicago, Black gospel music developed alongside other musical styles such as ragtime, blues and jazz. Today, Black gospel music takes many forms—from small group singing to large choirs. The energy and rhythm of the music is heard not only within churches, but in concert halls and in styles like R&B, Hip-hop and other popular music.

Connected by generations of powerful women tied together through song and strength, the story of the Legendary Ingramettes began more than 60 years ago when “Mama” Maggie Ingram formed this family gospel group. Maggie Ingram was born in 1930 on what was still called Mulholland’s Plantation in Coffee County, Georgia, where she worked the cotton and tobacco fields with her parents. Maggie began playing the piano and singing at an early age and developed a great love for gospel music in her community’s church. Finding herself a single mother in 1961, Maggie and her five young children moved to Richmond, Virginia, where she found work in the home of Oliver Hill, an important Civil Rights lawyer who fought for the equality of African Americans to attend the same schools as white students.

Maggie’s family began singing together in their church and soon formed their gospel group “Maggie Ingram and the Ingramettes,” which became one of the most beloved groups in Richmond’s famous gospel scene. In addition to getting record contracts with important gospel labels and performing up and down the East Coast, the Ingramettes began a ministry in prisons and with programs that reunited women inmates with their children and families.

Maggie passed away in 2015, but the group has continued to soar as “The Legendary Ingramettes” with Maggie’s oldest daughter, Almeta Ingram-Miller taking the lead of this family band.

Richmond is the capital of Virginia and sits along the James River. Because of its advantageous position on this river, Richmond has always held great importance. Originally the capital of the Powhatan Indian Tribe, it later became the capital of the Confederacy during the Civil War. After the Civil War, Black Richmond citizens built a successful business and arts community which today remains a cultural center in a city with a majority African American population. Richmond has become famous for its gospel music scene, with the Legendary Ingramettes widely considered the city’s “First Family of Richmond Gospel.” In fact, the Grammy-Award winning artist D’Angelo is the son of a Richmond minister. He names Maggie Ingram and the Ingramettes as one of his most inspiring influences.

After viewing The Ingramettes video, before showing it to your class:

• What did you find most interesting about the video, the group, the gospel tradition and their church and home?
• What do you think the students will find most interesting about this group and their story?
• What concepts/skills/topics in your curriculum might this connect to or shed insight on?
• How is the life and community of this artist similar to parts of your students’ communities?
• How is the life and community of this artist distinctly different from your students’ communities?