Visit the Black Gospel Archive

The Black Gospel Archive is open Monday-Friday from 9am to 4pm. If you would like to schedule a visit, email bga@baylor.edu

Baylor’s Home for Black Gospel Research

The Black Gospel Archive is a space for discovering, studying, and experiencing the rich history of Black gospel music. Home to the University Libraries’ Black Gospel Music Preservation Program and Black Gospel Preachers Project, the BGA brings together archival collections, recorded sound, research resources, and opportunities for listening and learning.

Whether you are a researcher, student, musician, or simply curious about gospel music, we invite you to explore the people, recordings, and traditions represented in the archive.

Explore the Archive

The BGA houses a growing physical collection of Black gospel recordings and related materials, including LPs, 45s, 78s, cassettes, CDs, photographs, and ephemera. Six hundred square feet of the space is dedicated to secure archival storage, with thousands of recordings and room for the collection to continue growing.

While nearly all the materials housed in the BGA can also be explored through our digital collection, encountering the original objects offers a different connection to the history they represent. Visitors can see the records, photographs, artwork, and other physical materials firsthand while exploring the recordings and stories they preserve.

The collection includes materials held by Baylor University Libraries as well as recordings preserved through the Black Gospel Music Preservation Program from collections loaned by individuals and institutions across the country. Visitors can also consult printed gospel discographies and other research resources in a space designed for focused study and discovery.

For researchers and visitors who need a quieter listening environment, the BGA includes a sound-insulated listening booth, which may be reserved in advance through our booking page.

Listen Together

A recent expansion of the Black Gospel Archive provides additional space for teaching classes, hosting lectures and conversations, conducting oral histories, and presenting small concerts and musical demonstrations. The flexible space brings students, scholars, musicians, and community members together to engage with gospel music as both an archival tradition and a living musical practice.

A piano and Hammond B3 organ support teaching and performance in the space. A defining instrument in Black gospel music, the Hammond organ has shaped the sound of churches and gospel recordings for generations.

The BGA is ultimately a place for listening—not only to historic recordings, but to musicians, scholars, students, community members, and the people whose experiences have shaped gospel music. Through study, conversation, and music-making, the BGA creates opportunities to encounter gospel music and better understand its history, artistry, and continuing significance.

Educational Resources

Library Guides (LibGuides) for Black Gospel

Black Gospel: Discover the Music

This guide introduces the history of Black gospel music through featured stories, recordings, and artists drawn from the Black Gospel Archive. It is designed for anyone who wants to begin listening, learning, and exploring the tradition.

Best for:

• First-time visitors
• Music lovers
• Students
• General audiences

Black Gospel: Research & Teaching Resources

Our companion research guide provides tools for students, educators, and scholars, including:

• books and reference works
• scholarly articles
• discographies
• databases
• primary and secondary sources
• teaching resources
• research strategies
• guidance for locating songs, artists, and archival materials

Whether you're writing a paper, preparing a class, or beginning a research project, this guide is an excellent next step.

Best for:

• Researchers
• Faculty
• Students
• Teachers

Black Gospel Archive: Discover Sacred Materials

This guide introduces visitors to sermons, correspondence, church publications, and other documentary materials preserved by the Black Gospel Archive. These sources provide valuable insight into the religious, cultural, and community life that shaped—and was shaped by—Black gospel music.

Best for:

• Primary source exploration
• Church history
• Black religious history
• Archival research