A Successful MLK Day

“Music is the best consolation for a despaired man.”

Martin Luther King, Jr.

I’ve been on the planning committee of our local MLK Day for the past couple of years. The ladies in the picture are a few of the other committee members – wonderfully smart and funny women.

This year I sang in the community gospel choir. Last year as I sat in the concert listening, I itched to sing with them. This year I did. It was one of the most fun groups I have been a part of in quite a long time.

We only did two practices before our performance (we did a concert on Sunday afternoon) and from the start the group sounded amazing. It was if we were supposed to sing together.

I love good, loud, rambunctious gospel choirs. When I was in college a dear friend of mine, Sam, and I “traded” religious life experiences. We were friends in the dorm where we lived, me a white woman and he a black man. He started going to a Bible study with me, then we each visited church with each other.

One day I ran across him and some of his guy friends as they were on their way to sing together. One of the gutys carried a keyboard. They asked if I wanted to join them – I did.

I can sing, but don’t really read music and never learned to harmonize (though I can learn a part). I could sing with these guys, though. They made it easy.

Sam also invited me to several events called “Jams for Jesus” sponsored by our college’s Black Student Movement. These were held on Friday night. I guess they would be described as informal worship. There was no agenda. For this young woman from a staid Presbyterian Church, I sat amazed. Someone would stand up and sing. Someone would stand up and pray. Someone would stand up to share a thought.

But the music was constant and the “choir” that would unfold was breathtaking.

This was what came to my mind at that first choir rehearsal – multiple voices together that were so rich.

A friend who was at both performances of the MLK Choir (we also sang at a community breakfast on Monday morning, which is our main event of the MLK celebration) told me tonight my face was just shining when I sang. I’m sure she was right. It was glorious.

At the breakfast on Monday, another friend said, “Dr. King would have enjoyed this celebration for him.”

I think they are right.

Oh, there are some things I’d like to see us improve. I still don’t believe we are far enough along with race relations. People, black and white, are too comfortable being separated. Our community breakfast is racially mixed, but not where it needs to be. Likes still group with likes.

If youwant to see the concert here’s the link. I hope it demonstrates Dr. King’s quote above in action.