By James Matheson
“Lift every voice and sing, till Earth and heaven ring, ring with the harmonies of liberty.” These are the opening lyrics to “Lift Every Voice and Sing” by James Weldon Johnson, otherwise known as the Black National Anthem.
These words were sung through the halls of the Nyumburu Cultural Center by junior Reyna Moore as those gathered to celebrate the end of Black History Month rose in solidarity around her at the closing ceremony on Tuesday. Moore is a vocal performance and music education major. She said she usually performs “Lift Every Voice and Sing” at the beginning of each event at the Center.
The evening was filled with eulogies for individuals like Madam C.J. Walker, Arturo Alfonso Schomburg, and Chadwick Boseman. Each was paired with specifically curated music.
“One of the most impactful things of today is the expression of Black soul, through music, through figures, and how both music and those figures come together to paint a picture of resilience and perseverance,” said Rotimi Sofola, a senior cell biology and genetics major who played electric guitar with the Nyumburu Jazz Band at the event.
The national theme for Black History Month 2023 was “Black Resistance.” Because music holds the ability to encapsulate so many elements of Black culture, the center took advantage of an opportunity to revisit that resistance through music.
Marvin Gaye’s chilling lyrics in his 1971 song, “What’s Going On,” accompanied a brief biography of Emmett Till.
The jazz instrumental version of the song which is normally paired with the lyrics “Brother, Brother, Brother, there’s far too many of you dying,” preceded the story of the 14-year-old boy whose body was dumped into the Tallahatchie River after being murdered by racist extremists.
The biography went on to describe the thousands of individuals who attended the open casket funeral in Chicago to see Till’s mutilated body. The event was a spark in the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 60s.
These already-compelling stories told at the closing ceremony were enhanced by the powerful lyrics of Black artists who, through their music, described the same injustice which activists and people of color faced decades before and after.
“We just really selected songs that highlighted resistance. But also balance, hope and the idea that in fight comes getting tired … So we just tried to balance between all of that to encourage young people to be active,” said Kesha Naima Robertson, a coordinator of the event and alum of the university.
As Black History Month concludes, the passion and fight from University of Maryland students continues, and the celebration of Black culture remains vibrant each day at the Nyumburu Cultural Center.
“You have to exist to help resist the powers that are fighting against us. And I feel like with the systems that are against most of the BIPOC and Black communities, for us to exist, we should as a whole be able to fight against whatever is causing that,” Moore said.
Featured Image: Sierra Hall telling the story of Billie Holiday at the Black History Month Closing Ceremony on Feb. 28, 2023 in College Park, Maryland. Photo by James Matheson.