Anti-Racist Resources
Dear Friends
As a world, we have recently dealt with the coronavirus that has majorly impacted our lives. And now, with the death of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and countless others, racism has become the center of attention. The Black Lives Matter campaign has reignited the energy against racial inequalities and prompted a new change in our society. With people of color being faced with such inequalities, we must perform our due diligence in our communities.
NJACDA acknowledges the anger and pain that our black and brown brothers and sisters are feeling and want you to know that we stand with you. Everyday I learn something new about my own privilege and the systemic/institutional nature of racism in our country. As president of NJACDA, I want you to know that I am here to listen and amplify your voice.
As choral artists, we must acknowledge and educate ourselves about the pain and suffering that comes along with spirituals and gospel pieces. This is our opportunity to bridge the gap, educate ourselves and justly deliver with the proper intent.
I know you miss your choral classrooms more than ever – the safe spaces, where students can be themselves, listen to each other, and heal through singing together. I am hopeful that we will soon get back to that point.
As the great composer and fighter for racial justice, Leonard Bernstein said: “This will be our reply to violence; to make music more intensely, more beautifully, more devotedly than ever before.”
-Dr. Anne Matlack, NJACDA President
Below, you will find some links for you to use as resources:
Here is ACDA’s statement:
https://choralnet.org/announcements/on-the-murder-of-george-floyd-and-the-impacts-of-racism/
Teacher resources for planning:
Blackface Minstrel Songs Don’t Belong in Music Class
https://gen.medium.com/dinah-put-down-your-horn-154b8d8db12a
Songs with a questionable past:
Beyond Elijah Rock: The Non-Idiomatic Choral Music of Black Composers
Dr. Marques L.A. Garret
Seven Last Words of the Unarmed – Joel Thompson Tallahassee Symphony performs plus panel discussion
If you’re looking for resources to use with your students in order to engage them in meaningful conversations about race and racism, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History & Culture has a wealth of activities & information (from Libby Gopal)
