[CHOIR SINGING]
♪♪♪
>> THIS GROUP OF PEOPLE ARE SO
EASY TO ORGANIZE, I JUST LOVE
IT.
IT'S LIKE THE HIGHLIGHT OF MY
YEAR.
>> WE ALL LOOK FORWARD TO EVERY
YEAR GETTING TOGETHER, SINGING
AND JUST MAKING GOOD MUSIC.
AND THIS IS ONE WAY OF BRINGING
THE COMMUNITY TOGETHER.
>> I GET WELCOMED WITH OPEN
ARMS.
AND EVEN THOUGH I'M OF THE
JEWISH FAITH, I FEEL THAT I HAVE
A HOME WITH THIS CHOIR.
>> HEY, ONE TWO.
>> TERRI: TODAY WE'RE GOING TO
HEAR FROM A CHOIR THAT HAS BEEN
GATHERING EVERY YEAR FOR OVER
THREE DECADES, MADE UP OF AREA
RESIDENTS AND LOCAL HOUSES OF
WORSHIP.
THEY JOIN TOGETHER IN SONG TO
CELEBRATE THE IDEALS OF DR.
KING.
JOIN US AS WE VISIT THE MARTIN
LUTHER KING COMMUNITY CHOIR.
COME ON!
♪♪♪
>> TERRI: SO, CINDY, WHAT
INSPIRED YOU ALL TO START THE
CHOIR?
>> ORIGINALLY, WE DIDN'T HAVE A
CHOIR.
THE COMMUNITY CELEBRATION
STARTED BACK IN '84.
AND IT WAS A AN EFFORT ON THE
PART OF THE NAACP TO COMMEMORATE
THE MLK HOLIDAY AND GET THAT
STARTED HERE IN THE COMMUNITY.
SO IT WAS JUST A SERVICE AND TO
HONOR A COMMUNITY MEMBER FOR
THEIR DEDICATION TO THE IDEALS
AND VALUES OF DR. KING.
AND SO IT DIDN'T START WITH A
CHOIR THE CHOIR DIDN'T COME IN
UNTIL ABOUT THREE YEARS LATER.
>> TERRI: AND IS -- JONATHAN, IS
THAT BECAUSE OF YOU?
>> THAT'S THE TIME WHEN I CAME
IN.
THE FIRST YEAR OF THE CHOIR
THOMAS BRYANT WAS CONDUCTING THE
CHOIR, HE'S A MUSICIAN IN THIS
AREA AND THEN THE SECOND YEAR HE
INVITED ME TO COME PARTICIPATE
AND JUST PLAY ONE SONG AND KIND
OF OVER THE YEARS MORPHED INTO A
LOT MORE THAN ONE SONG.
[LAUGHTER]
>> TERRI: SO PAINT A PICTURE FOR
US WHO IS IN THE CHOIR.
WHO CAN JOIN THE CHOIR?
>> THE CHOIR, I THINK WHEN IT
FIRST STARTED OUT WAS A COUPLE
OF LOCAL CHURCH CHOIRS CAME
TOGETHER, IT WAS MOUNT ZION,
FIRST BAPTIST.
ZION AND EBENEZER.
AND IT WAS BASICALLY LOCAL
CHURCHES IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA
CAME TOGETHER.
AND IT JUST KEEPS GROWING.
IT JUST KEEPS GROWING.
STUDENTS FROM THE HIGH SCHOOLS,
STUDENTS FROM THE UNIVERSITY
STARTED JOINING US AND IT REALLY
HAS BECOME THE REAL COMMUNITY.
♪♪♪
THROUGH THE NIGHT ♪
♪ TAKE MY HAND PRECIOUS LORD ♪
♪ LEAD ME ON ♪
♪ AMEN.
>> IT'S NOT JUST GOSPEL, IT'S
NOT JUST AN ANTHEM, BUT IT'S THE
MIXTURE.
WE'VE EVEN DONE SOME JEWISH
NUMBERS.
>> TERRI: SO YOU REALLY, REALLY
ARE TRYING TO MAKE IT ACCESSIBLE
TO EVERYBODY AND MAYBE SOMETHING
THAT THEY'RE NOT NORMALLY DOING
IN THEIR CHOIR.
>> YOU KNOW, WE'VE TRIED TO GET
MUSIC THAT KIND OF GOES ACROSS
THE BOARD.
BUT IT DOES GIVE PEOPLE
OPPORTUNITY TO SING THINGS THAT
THEY DON'T NORMALLY SING IN
THEIR NORMAL CHURCH CHOIR
SERVICES AS WELL.
AND TO EXPERIENCE PEOPLE FROM
OTHER CULTURES RIGHT HERE IN OUR
COMMUNITY.
AND SO --
>> TERRI: AND WHY IS THAT SO
IMPORTANT?
>> WELL, SEE, DR. KING -- IT
WASN'T JUST ABOUT AFRICAN
AMERICANS.
IT WAS ABOUT EVERYBODY.
IT WAS FOR THE WHOLE WORLD.
AND SO IF YOU'RE GOING TO LOOK
AT THE WHOLE WORLD, THEN IT HAS
TO BE ECLECTIC, IT HAS TO BE
THAT DIVERSITY, AND BLACK, WHITE
JEWISH, PROTESTANTS -- YOU NAME
IT, AND I WANTED TO MAKE SURE
THAT WE HAVE DIVERSITY IN ALL
THAT WE DO IN OUR SINGING, AS
WELL AS IN OUR SPEAKERS.
>> IN JUNE OF 1964, 16 RABBIS
WERE ARRESTED FOR THEIR
PARTICIPATION IN CIVIL RIGHTS
ACTIVITIES IN ST. AUGUSTINE,
FLORIDA.
>> DR. KING MARCHED TO
BIRMINGHAM, HE MARCHED IN SELMA,
IN ALBANY, HE MARCHED IN
WASHINGTON DC, HE MARCHED AGAIN,
AND AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN
AND AGAIN.
AND IT COULD BE SAID
SYMBOLICALLY THAT HE DIED
MARCHING.
>> TERRI: TALK A LITTLE BIT
ABOUT THE SPEAKER.
SO EVERY EVENT, THERE IS A
NATIONAL -- SOMETIMES LOCAL, BUT
THERE'S A SPECIAL SPEAKER.
TALK ABOUT --
>> YEAH, WYATT TEE WALKER IS
PROBABLY ONE OF MY FAVORITES
BECAUSE
>> TERRI: WELL, FOR THOSE WHO
DON'T KNOW WHO IS --
>> WYATT TEE WALKER WAS A MEMBER
FROM THE CIVIL RIGHTS ERA WORK
WITH DR. KING AND PASTORED A
CHURCH IN NEW YORK CITY.
BUT HE'S ALSO A MUSICIAN, AND
HAS WRITTEN SEVERAL BOOKS ON
SPIRITUALS AND MUSIC OF THE
BLACK CHURCH.
AND SO IT WAS REALLY HAVING THE
SOURCE ALIVE HERE WITH US.
SO WHEN WE DID A SPIRITUAL THAT
YEAR, HE COULD ACTUALLY GIVE
SOME INPUT TO THE CHOIR.
>> TERRI: OH, WOW, INCREDIBLE.
>> IT REALLY WAS.
>> TERRI: AND ALSO THEN YOU AND
YOU HAVE AN AWARD RECIPIENT
EVERY YEAR.
HOW DO YOU CHOOSE THIS PERSON?
AND WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE?
ARE THEY STUDENTS?
ARE THEY COMMUNITY MEMBERS?
>> THEY'RE FROM EVERYWHERE.
WE ACCEPT NOMINATIONS FROM THE
COMMUNITY AT LARGE, AND THEN WE
VOTE ON THEM AS A COMMITTEE TO
MAKE THE SELECTION.
>> THEY ARE LOCALS.
AND THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT WE CAN
TOUCH AND OUR CHILDREN CAN TOUCH
AND ACTUALLY HAVE SOME INSIGHT
INTO WHO THEY ARE AND WHAT YOU
KNOW, THE FACT THAT YOU GET TO
DO TODAY BECAUSE WHAT THESE
PEOPLE DID YESTERDAY.
>> MRS. THERESA JACKSON WALKER
PRICE.
>> OUR OFFERING TODAY IS GOING
TO THE SISTERS KEEPER
COLLECTIVE.
♪♪♪
>> TERRI: HOW DOES THE CHOIR
PREPARE?
DO THEY REHEARSE?
>> YES, WE DEFINITELY HAD A LOT
OF REHEARSALS.
WE START USUALLY THE FIRST WEEK
IN JANUARY, WE ALTERNATE
TUESDAYS AND SATURDAYS, I
USUALLY GET WITH THE MUSICIANS
AND STAFF THAT WORK ON IDEAS FOR
SONGS THAT COME UP WITH A COUPLE
PEOPLE GIVE ME SOME IDEAS AS WE
PICK THINGS THAT WE THINK ARE
GONNA BE REALLY GOOD CHALLENGE,
SO THAT IT'S OPEN TO EVERYBODY
TO COME IN AND JOIN US AND HAVE
FUN.
AND WE'LL DO ABOUT FIVE
REHEARSALS TO GET READY FOR THE
KING CELEBRATION.
>> TERRI: BUT -- AND ALSO, SOME
OF THESE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE
MUSICIANS IN THE COMMUNITY, SOME
BELONG TO CHOIRS, BUT SOME ARE
JUST PEOPLE WHO REALLY WANT TO
SING.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE A SINGER TO
PARTICIPATE?
>> NO, AT NOT AT ALL.
>> THEN THERE'S A GROUP OF
MUSICIANS WHO WORK TO PUT THE
BAND PART TOGETHER.
AND SO THAT ALL COMES TOGETHER.
AND WE PUT IT ALL TOGETHER AT
THE END OF THE FOURTH REHEARSAL.
AND IT'S REALLY JUST AN EXCITING
TIME.
>> TERRI: IT'S TRULY A COMMUNITY
EFFORT.
IT REALLY IS REALLY A COMMUNITY
EFFORT.
AND IT'S BEEN GOING ON FOR OVER
THREE DECADES.
TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE
CROWD AND THE COMMUNITY AND THE
INVOLVEMENT AND HOW HAS IT GROWN
OVER THE YEARS?
>> OH, THE FIRST CELEBRATION WAS
AT TRINITY EPISCOPAL CHURCH.
AND THERE WERE PROBABLY 70
PEOPLE THERE.
SO NEXT YEAR, WE'RE AT TRINITY
AGAIN, AND YOU KNOW, GREW A
LITTLE BIT.
AND THEN SO FROM THAT, TO THIS,
WHERE WE HAVE HUNDREDS OF
SINGERS AND, AND HUNDREDS AND
HUNDREDS OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS
COME TOGETHER TO HAVE THIS
COMMUNITY CELEBRATION.
AND I DON'T THINK WE GET THAT
VERY OFTEN HERE.
AND IF YOU LOOK OUT, IT'S JUST
AN AMAZING RAINBOW OF PEOPLE.
♪♪♪
>> TERRI: JONATHAN, YOU WANTED
TO HAVE A CONCERT IN 2018 IN THE
SUMMER TO MARK THE ANNIVERSARY
OF THE EVENTS OF AUGUST 11 AND
12TH.
NORMALLY THE CHOIR PLAYS ONCE A
YEAR AND SINGS IN JANUARY.
>> THE 2018 CELEBRATION WAS JUST
AN EXCITING TIME FOR US AS A
CHOIR, THE MUSIC WAS GREAT.
WE SANG A PIECE CALLED HARAMBEE
AND THE TEXT BEING HARAMBEE WE
ALL PULLED TOGETHER AND THE TEXT
WAS LIKE LET US ALL PULL
TOGETHER TO PROMOTE LOVE AND
GOOD DEEDS.
AND IT REALLY RESONATED WITH
EVERYONE IN THE ROOM WHEN WE
WERE SINGING IN THE CHOIR, THE
MUSICIANS, EVERYBODY, THE
AUDIENCE, I THINK REALLY CAUGHT
IT.
AND WE'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO DO
SOMETHING ELSE DURING THE COURSE
OF THE YEAR.
AND SO TWO PEOPLE CAME TO ME AND
SAID, CAN WE -- YOU KNOW, CAN WE
PICK UP OFF THE HARAMBEE IDEA
AND, AND I THOUGHT, WOW, THIS
WOULD BE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO
KEEP THIS WHOLE HARAMBEE PIECE
GOING.
THE GOAL WAS TO TRY TO GET MAYBE
100 SINGERS TO COME TOGETHER,
AND TO SING OUT AT THE PARK AND
WE'RE GOING TO DO A COUPLE
SONGS.
AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN, IT
JUST BLOSSOMED, IT JUST KEPT
GROWING AND GROWING AND GROWING.
AND OKAY, SO WE SAID 300.
AND THEN WE HAVE 450.
AND WE JUST KEPT GROWING I THINK
WE ENDED UP CLOSE TO ABOUT EIGHT
-- 800, 900 PEOPLE COMING IN
THAT DAY TO BE HERE.
BUT IT ALSO SAID THIS WAS THE
TIME WHEN THE COMMUNITY NEEDED
TO COME TOGETHER FOR ONE HOUR
AND JUST BE THE HARAMBEE JUST
ALL PULL TOGETHER.
LET'S JUST BE A COMMUNITY.
IT WAS ABOUT WHETHER YOU'RE
BLACK, WHITE, JEWISH, PROTESTANT
OR ANYTHING.
IT WAS JUST COMMUNITY, WE ARE
ALL COMMUNITY.
AND IT WAS JUST ONE OF THE MOST
EXCITING TIMES.
WE'RE LOOKING AT CARRYING IT ON
EVEN MORE SO NOW.
PEOPLE STOP AND SAY, OH, I
REMEMBER THAT.
♪ WE ARE THE WORLD ♪
♪ LET'S START LIVING ♪
♪ WE'RE SAVING OUR OWN LIVES ♪
♪♪♪
[APPLAUSE]
>> TERRI: SO FROM THE COMMUNITY,
WHAT -- HOW CAN PEOPLE GET
INVOLVED IF THEY WANT TO HELP
YOU KEEP ALL THOSE WHEELS
TURNING?
>> WE'RE TRYING TO CONTINUE OUR
INVOLVEMENT OF ALL THE OTHER
CLERGY AND OTHER COMMUNITY
MEMBERS TO, AGAIN, KEEP IT KEEP
IT TRUE TO WHAT IT HAS BEEN.
>> TERRI: SO PEOPLE CAN GET
INVOLVED BY SINGING OR THEY CAN
GET INVOLVED BY VOLUNTEERING AND
HELPING TO ORGANIZE.
>> YEAH
>> TERRI: AND WHERE DO YOU SEE
THIS DOWN THE ROAD?
>> YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW THIS,
BUT IT'S -- I SEE IT TO CONTINUE
TO GROW.
AND I SEE IT AS BEING A VERY
POSITIVE MESSAGE TO OUR
COMMUNITY THAT WE CAN COME
TOGETHER ON SOMETHING THAT
BENEFITS EVERYBODY, AND HAS A
POSITIVE EFFECT ON THEIR LIVES,
BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT MATTERS.
MY FAVORITE SAYING IS THAT IF I
CAN HELP SOMEBODY AS I PASS
ALONG, IF I CAN SHOW SOMEBODY
THE TRAVELING -- MY LIVING IS
NOT IN VAIN.
AND THAT'S WHAT DR. KING WAS
ABOUT.
AND THAT'S THE MESSAGE I WANT TO
SEND IS TO LEARN TO HELP
SOMEBODY ELSE.
>> I THINK THAT ONE OF THE MOST
IMPORTANT MESSAGES COMING FROM
MLK IS ABOUT UNITY, AND
TOGETHERNESS.
JUST BECAUSE YOU DON'T LOOK LIKE
ME, DOESN'T MEAN THAT I CAN'T
RESPECT YOU, WHAT YOU HAVE TO
SAY I MAY NOT AGREE WITH IT.
SO WE CAN MEET AT A GOOD ENOUGH
POINT THAT IT'S STILL FINE.
>> IT'S A WONDERFUL WONDERFUL
GROUP OF PEOPLE.
AND I LOOK FORWARD TO SINGING
AND GETTING TOGETHER AND
FELLOWSHIP WITH THE CHOIR WITH
EACH AND EVERY YEAR.
THIS IS WHY I'VE DONE IT FOR 33
YEARS.
>> THE MOST IMPORTANT TRAIT THAT
PEOPLE COME AND BRING TO THIS IS
THEIR ENTHUSIASM AND THEIR
SELVES.
BECAUSE WHEN WE ARE TOGETHER, WE
ARE SO MUCH STRONGER THAN WE ARE
INDIVIDUALLY AND THAT'S WHAT
THIS CHOIR MEANS TO ME.
>> FOR ME, IT'S LIKE A PIECE OF
HEAVEN BECAUSE WHEN WE ALL GET
TO HEAVEN, IT'S NOT GOING TO BE
DIVIDED.
EVERYBODY'S GOING TO BE TOGETHER
IT'S GOING TO BE A HEAVENLY
CHOIR WELL, IT'S JUST GOING TO
BE BEAUTIFUL.
EVERYONE SINGING IN HARMONY AND
LOVE AND UNITY.
♪♪♪
♪ I'M GOING TO MARCH ON ♪
♪♪♪