At 7pm on Tuesday, February 2nd, the Kirk was filled with chatter and laughter that was intermingled with energetic jazz music. People talked and enjoyed a variety of snacks and coffee. On one side of the room was a large wooden folding screen that was being used as a display for the photography of Harmonee Keitt ‘20, Caleb Keitt ‘20, and Lisa Hill ‘22; as well as the digital art of Eden Anyabwile ‘21. Several people in the McRae-Zellner Project (MZP) were wearing the new t-shirt for MZP designed by Caleb Keitt. The shirt, which is available for sale, depicts a monochromatic portrait that was modeled after Anyabwile of an African-American girl’s head wearing sunglasses in front of a background made up of yellow rings like a record with the words “Imago Dei” across the top.
To start off the event, Marcus Dorsey ‘21, co-head of MZP, said a prayer where he asked God to allow everyone present to not take this time for granted and instead see God’s glory in the poetry that was spoken and the songs that were performed.
This was the first year that the Jazz Ensemble has played such a prominent role in the Black History Night event; no doubt thanks to Lesley Hill ‘21, the other half of the McRae-Zellner leadership, and her incredible gift for all things musical. This was a time of rejoicing, as was clear from how much everyone in the ensemble enjoyed playing and singing together. The band performed several jazz songs by artists like Duke Ellington and Billie Holliday and finished by performing a few hymns that encouraged participation from the audience. Lisa Hill also joined the Jazz Ensemble for their performance of Clara Ward’s song “How I Got Over,” which was performed by the renowned singer Aretha Franklin. The amount of energy that was created in that room during this time was truly incredible, due to the excitement from the band members that was definitely shared by the audience. These songs were interspersed throughout the evening between poetry readings and a spoken word performance.
Several students read poetry by Cynthia Young and W. E. B. Dubois, and Harmonee Keitt performed an original spoken word piece. Audience members had the privilege of hearing about the Black Experience in a way that called attention to the hardships that African-Americans have gone through, while doing it in a way that asks for recognition and celebration of all that they have accomplished. Whether it was Keitt describing the words that her grandmother uses to remind her to always “stay black,” or Dubois paraphrasing the song “My Country ‘Tis of Thee” to share his experience growing up in the U.S. as an African-American man, these poems served as a way to share these experiences with everyone, even those in the audience who could not personally identify. This was a time to remember the hard things that have happened, while also remembering that Christ’s redemptive work covers all things, especially where God’s children are concerned, and that we are all created to create and tell stories.