[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 ♪

♪♪♪