Kappa Alpha Psi’s Jester Hairston Composed the Classics “Amen” and “Mary’s Boy Child” and Spent His Life Preserving Black Spirituals

Did you know that the composer behind the beloved gospel classic “Amen” and the Christmas standard “Mary’s Boy Child” was a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.? His name was Jester Hairston, and he spent his life preserving and sharing the music of Black America.

Jester Joseph Hairston was born in 1901 in Belews Creek, North Carolina, the grandson of formerly enslaved people. He earned his degree from Tufts University in 1929 and went on to study music at the Juilliard School. According to We Are Speaking, Hairston joined the Chi Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. in 1925.

Hairston devoted his career to the choral tradition and to the preservation of Black spirituals. As Tufts Universitydocuments, he composed or arranged more than 300 choral spirituals, determined to keep alive the music his enslaved grandparents had sung. “I wanted to keep that music alive,” he said. He became one of Hollywood’s most sought-after choral directors, arranging music for more than 40 films.

His songs became part of the American songbook. Hairston wrote “Mary’s Boy Child,” which grew into a Christmas standard around the world, and he composed and dubbed the song “Amen” for the 1963 Sidney Poitier film Lilies of the Field, giving the world a gospel anthem that still fills churches today.

Hairston was also a familiar face on screen. Over a long acting career, he appeared in films and television programs including Amos ‘n’ Andy, To Kill a Mockingbird, and In the Heat of the Night, and he later delighted audiences as Rolly Forbes on the television series Amen. Beginning in 1961, he served as a goodwill ambassador, traveling the world to teach and perform the folk music of enslaved Black Americans.

Jester Hairston died on January 18, 2000, in Los Angeles, at the age of 98. From the choral stage to the silver screen, Kappa Alpha Psi’s Jester Hairston made it his life’s mission to carry the music of his ancestors forward.

We at Watch The Yard would like to commend Brother Jester Hairston for his lifelong dedication to Black music and culture.

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