Latest / The Pursuit of Beauty with Matthew Wilkinson
The Hidden Escape Plan Inside "Wade in the Water" | Gullah Spirituals with Ann Caldwell
n this episode of The Pursuit of Beauty, Matthew sits down with legendary Charleston vocalist and storyteller Ann Caldwell to uncover the hidden world of spirituals, Gullah culture, and the music of the enslaved. From “Wade in the Water” to “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot,” Ann explains how these songs often carried coded messages of escape, using biblical language, river imagery, and “chariots” to talk about the Underground Railroad, freedom, and survival when plain speech was impossible.
Ann shares her own story as a Gullah-rooted artist raised in the Lowcountry of South Carolina, and opens a…
The skinny
The skinny isn't ready yet — notes appear once the transcript is processed.