When the careers of the composers Robert Nathaniel Dett (1882-1943) and William Levi Dawson (1899-1990) began, the United States was a racially-divided society. Despite this division, both composers held a firm belief in the potential of spirituals to bring people together. Racial segregation severely limited the civil rights of people of color; however, Dett and Dawson were fueled by the hope for spirituals to bridge the racial divide in America. Both composers desired to achieve racial equality through their music. I argue that these aspirations are embodied within their concert spirituals. This disquisition examines the legacies of Dett and Dawson for the role of “hope” in their concert spirituals. The phrase “legacy of hope” frames a distinct perspective of Dett’s and Dawson’s aspirations for the function of spirituals in American music. I examined their choral music and provided evidence of their hope for concert spirituals. In addition, I draw on scholarly books, essays, interviews, and dissertations to consider Dett’s and Dawson’s legacy of hope within the context of their social environment. Historically, spirituals share an intimate bond to the social environment of the United States. The capacity of spirituals to provide hope appears frequently in the United States during periods of social change. To further strengthen my arguments for Dett’s and Dawson’s legacy of hope, my study relates the concept of hope to the performance of spirituals. The study is limited to the start of the concert tradition of spiritual in the late nineteenth century. Hope proves to be an inherent trait of spirituals throughout its history. As choral conductors, we can also contribute to the legacy of hope when we further our understanding of the value and meaning of spirituals. The more ways the conductor can foster and integrate a respect for spirituals into rehearsals and performances, the greater is the conductor’s contribution to the legacy of hope. Spirituals provide the choral conductor an avenue to explore meaningful social objectives for choral ensembles. The legacy of hope was significant for the generation of Dett and Dawson and it is still relevant for ours.