To Be Soulful, You Have to Flow

To Be Soulful, You Have to Flow

An interview with Michael Beckwith & Rickie Byars-Beckwith by Andrew Cohen

Whether it’s soul music or soul food or finding one’s soul mate, the intangible quality commonly referred to as soul moves like a powerful undercurrent in contemporary culture. So we wanted to ask: What does it mean to be a living, breathing manifestation of this ineffable and yet most compelling dimension of human life? What does it mean to have soul?

To find the answer, we could think of none better qualified to respond than Michael Bernard Beckwith and Rickie Byars-Beckwith. This power couple represents the confluence of what many in Western society associate with soul and soulfulness—spirituality, love, music, community, and African-American culture. The late, great blues guitarist Mississippi John Hurt once remarked, “Soul … was nurtured by the Black Man in America.” And, as Rickie clearly demonstrates, the Black Woman, as well.

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