Spirituals and the Birth of a Black Entertainment IndustrySpirituals performed by jubilee troupes became a sensation in post Civil War America. First brought to the stage by choral ensembles like the Fisk Jubilee Singers, spirituals anchored a wide range of late nineteenth century entertainments, including minstrelsy, variety, and plays by both black and white companies. In the first book length treatment of postbellum spirituals in theatrical entertainments, Sandra Jean Graham mines a trove of resources to