This dissertation explores the intersection between formal music education—within both academic institutions and Black American church settings—and entrepreneurial success. Through a qualitative analysis of six musicians’ career trajectories and the development of the social entrepreneurial venture, Gayle Mail, this study examines how the skills and executive functions nurtured through music education can be effectively translated into entrepreneurial capabilities. The research employs an autoethnographic case study methodology to delve into the lived experiences of individuals who have transitioned from music-focused backgrounds to entrepreneurial endeavors. The study addresses several research questions, focusing on the contribution of formal music training to the development of executive functions, the role of music education in enhancing entrepreneurial skills, and the socio-economic implications of such transitions. Findings from the qualitative portraits and the Gayle Mail case study reveal that adaptability, resilience, creative problem-solving, and disciplined work ethic—skills honed through rigorous music education and performance—are directly transferable and beneficial in entrepreneurial ventures. Furthermore, the study highlights how the unique socio-cultural environment of Black American church music education contributes significantly to the development of these executive functions, supporting individuals in overcoming socio-economic challenges on their entrepreneurial journey. This dissertation contributes to the fields of music education, entrepreneurship, and social entrepreneurship by providing empirical evidence on thetransferability of music-education-developed skills to entrepreneurial success. It also offers practical insights for educators, policymakers, and entrepreneurs on leveraging formal music education as a tool for enhancing entrepreneurial capabilities. The findings suggest avenues for future research, particularly in exploring the specific mechanisms through which music education impacts executive function development and identifying strategies to integrate these findings into music education and entrepreneurship education practices.

The black church and Prince Hall Freemasonry both played important roles in the black experience in America. Freemasonry and the black church; one secular, the other spiritual, played equally important, interrelated roles in the way the black community addressed social, political, and economic problems in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

This attempt to collect material concerning the history of the organisation of the Negro church in Indianapolis, and to present it in thesis form, has as its primary purpose the preserving of such information as exists of this nature, assembling it in usable form, and the encouraging of further efforts at keeping church records completely and accurately in the future.

Thesis (M.A.)--Rutgers University, 2009. / "Graduate Program in Liberal Studies." Includes bibliographical references (p. 27).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Michigan, 1999. / eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (p. 278-295).

Thesis (D. Min.)--New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, 2003. / Includes abstract and vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 99-103).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Michigan, 1999. / eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (p. 278-295).

Thesis (D. Min.)--New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, 2003. / Includes abstract and vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 99-103).

Thesis (D. Min.)--New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, 2003. / Includes abstract and vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 99-103).

This study investigated the influence of Tyler Perry‟s House of Payne and Meet the Browns on black viewers‟ racial identity, based on a survey of 145 members of four predominantly African American churches in the Central Florida area. Mirroring Allen, Dawson, and Brown‟s (1989) model of an African American racial belief system, this study proposed that both shows would positively influence three dimensions of the black identity including closeness to blacks, black separatism, and the belief in positive stereotypes about blacks, while negatively influencing the dimension that emphasizes negative stereotypes about blacks. Socioeconomic status and religiosity were also hypothesized to predict exposure to both shows. The results show that while House of Payne positively influenced two dimensions of the black identity including closeness to blacks and the belief in positive stereotypes about blacks, Meet the Browns did not have a statistically significant relationship with any of the dimensions of the black identity. Additionally, results showed mixed support for the relationship between socioeconomic status, religiosity, and show exposure. While education had a negative relationship with exposure to both House of Payne and Meet the Browns, the income variable revealed no significant results with either show. Lastly, religiosity was shown to be a significant predictor of exposure to House of Payne, but not Meet the Browns. The findings suggest that Perry‟s shows may be considered by viewers as more beneficial than harmful to viewers to their racial identity and experience, which contradicts the critiques of his images as reverberating with negative stereotypical images of the past. Findings also suggest the importance of education and religion to black socialization patterns.