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Bernice Johnson Reagon




Reagon was an active participant in the -winning radio series, ''Wade in the Water, African American Sacred Music Traditions''.

Reagon is Professor Emeritus of History at American University in Washington , DC, and holds the title of Curator Emeritus at the Smithsonian Institution ’s National Museum Of American History in Washington, DC, and was the 2002-04 Cosby Chair Professor of Fine Arts at Spelman College in Atlanta Georgia .

Reagon's work as a scholar and composer is reflected in publications on African American culture and history, including: a collection of essays entitled ''If You Don’t Go, Don’t Hinder Me: The African American Sacred Song Tradition'' (University of Nebraska Press, 2001); ''We Who Believe In Freedom: Sweet Honey In The Rock: Still on the Journey'', (Anchor Books, 1993); and ''We'll Understand It Better By And By: Pioneering African American Gospel Composers'' (Smithsonian Press, 1992).

In 1995 Reagon received a Charles Frankel Prize for her contributions to the public understanding of the Humanities . The award was presented at the White House by President Clinton . Other notable awards include the 2003 Heinz Award for the Arts and Humanities given by the Heinz Family Foundation.

Her daughter, Toshi Reagon , is also a singer-songwriter.