Feb. 24, 2008 Fukuoka - In celebration of Black History Month, Dr. Connie Hilliard, currently a Fulbright Scholar at the University of the Ryukyus in Okinawa, spoke on the History of African-American Gospel Music at the Fukuoka American Center.Dr. Hilliard explained how the roots of gospel music can be traced back to the 18th century in the spirituals that slaves sang.As Dr. Hilliard noted, gospel is a genre of music that should not only be heard but seen and experienced.To demonstrate her point, she used a number of video clips ranging from the classic Mahalia Jackson to the modern Kirk Franklin.After the program, the audience joined in singing and clapping to gospel sung by the Japanese gospel choir, Supreme, Supreme.Its popularity in Japan demonstrates how gospel music has crossed borders to be enjoyed by people all over the world.