The Portland Adventist Academy Gospel Choir was one of several gospel music groups invited to perform during the Walla Walla University Church’s annual Black History Celebration on the first weekend of February. Planned at the forefront of Black History Month, the weekend began with a Friday night vespers service hosted by the Black Student Christian Forum. After vespers, the students spent Friday night in the university dormitories and rose Sabbath morning to join in the worship service and afternoon praise concert in the Walla Walla University Church sanctuary.
The PAA Gospel Choir stood side by side with several widely respected musical groups including the Berean Gospel Choir and other musicians from across the Pacific Northwest. Tina Cooper, interim director for the PAA Gospel Choir, shared that the students were able to learn more from highly experienced musicians about the diversity of style that exists within the gospel music umbrella, including spirituals, acapella, hosannas, and many more. “One of the messages that director, Dr. Andrew ‘Benji’ Young, shared with the students was that one of the reasons gospel music is so important is because of our individual testimonies. He really drew their attention to why the music is so expressive––it’s because every person has a different testimony! There’s a reason we sing with such passion and fortitude, and I think that really allowed the kids to understand more of what’s behind gospel music,” said Cooper. “Some of our students had never sung or even heard gospel music before they came to PAA.”
“One thing that I do every Tuesday at chapel at PAA is that I'm always trying to keep diversity at the forefront of everything that the school does. With us not having a lot of teachers of color at our school, it can be an almost deafening piece of the landscape,” said Cooper. “I’m always trying to make sure the kids are aware of the power they have and the importance of diversity not just in our thinking and singing, but in our everyday lives. I always leave them with a quote and something to think about that has to do with diversity, pulling from both our current and our past history.”
For their part, the students connected well with this years’ experience – both with the musical performances and with the weekend’s speaker, Claudia Allen. “I’ve been getting texts all week saying our students had an awesome time and a life-changing experience,” said Cooper. “Claudia Allen was very honest and forthright in her message – and we live in a generation where the students really want that. People have to be real, and she was as real as the nose on your face. I don’t think anyone that was there could have walked away without taking something from her message. She pulled no punches, and that’s exactly what the students are looking for. I was truly appreciative of that.”
Walla Walla University Church’s annual Black History Celebration was recorded and is available to watch on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_jjo_ekMyM.
