The Black Love We Need To Bless The World With

Singing all over church and banging on the piano whenever she could, Roberta Flack fell in love with gospel as a child. Her father repaired an old piano for her, and her banging was soon replaced by fingers that danced gracefully across the keys. 

When some teenagers were sneaking out of the house to look for trouble with their friends,  Flack snuck out to watch gospel greats like Mahalia Jackson or Sam Cooke.

Her hunger to learn all she could, paired with practice, practice, and more practice, made her a prodigy. At 15 she received a full music scholarship to Howard University. 

Flack passed away on February 24, 2025. She left us 20 studio albums, each a testament to her musical genius. 

Her music, infused with messages of hope, redemption, and ancestral storytelling that made her a griot. 

And throughout it all were the echoes of the gospel she had been raised with. Testimony.

Flack often talked about the role of God in her life. Her legacy reminds us to do what brings us joy in this lifetime because when we do what we love, it’s really the Spirit’s divine love shining through. 

That’s the real definition of Black love. The love Spirit has gifted us to share with the world.