The essence of freedom is understanding
Black Student Movement Official Newspaper
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
'
Vol. XV, No. 13
October 29, 1985
BSM Gospel Choir—11^ power that is gospel music
by Tonya V. Smith
Staff Writer
pose to the University, said ctioir presi
dent Gwen Upchurcti. “The choir is an
Deep melodic tones, lively rhythm f Prfsion of cultural lineage f^om our
and strong beat accompanied by clapp- forefathers. But personally, ^ a horn
ing hands and stamping feet, plus rock- Christian, sing to glorify and
ing and swaying from side to side, edify others to know that Christ is
makes up gospel music. , , , .
From the "Swine Low Sweet Upchurch was explicit in noting that
Chariot" of the cotton fields to the "We '"e religious feelinp she expressed
Shall Overcome" of the church choir strictly personal There s a reason
stand, to a category awarding an Emmy “"‘I other saved or born-again
on the American Music Awards, black Christian members are reluctant to
gospel music has come a long way, "''S'®"®
No other group at the University has
done more to promote that music than
the Black Student Movement Gospel |
Choir. ®
Formed 13 years ago by Francine
Rudolf Cummings, the choir has 75
members, including six musicians.
Cummings, an active member in her
home church and choir, saw the need
for such an outlet for blacks on UNC-
CH’s predominantly white campus.
“Francine organized the choir in
response to her desire and the desires
of others to sing gospel music,” said
choir member Robin Thompson.
Thompson, who is in his final year of
law school, has been in the choir five
years.
The choir has since expanded upon Student Movement Choif
Cummings desjre to serve a useful pur-
about the choir.
During the 1982-1983 academic
year, Allan Rossen, a member of an on-
campus group of atheists, filed a claim
to the Student Supreme Court of the
University charging that the choir was
a religious group. According to Fletcher
Gamble, then president of the choir, the
main issue of the case was funding.
“The atheist group wasn’t being fundea
because the University doesn’t fund
religious organizations,” said Gamble.
“When Rossen went down the list of
/)/>o/o hy Ralph Ward
funded organizations and saw the BSM
Gospel Choir he charged us with being
a religious group and said we shouldn't
be funded.”
The choir won the controversial case
and the right to funding. “It was a bad
thing bacause of the conflicts that arose
within the choir and the BSM, but it
was a necessity,” said Gamble. “It solv
ed the issue and ultimately brought the
choir closer.”
College students getting together to
sing is one thing, but recording albums
too?
“Going to the City” was the title of
the choir’s debut album in 1983, and to
the city they went. Dressed in berry red
robes, the 75 choir members stood atop
the steps of the nation’s Capitol to pose
for their album’s cover. On other occa
sions, the choir has toured churches in
Philadelphia, New York and Atlanta.
As one might suppose, a large reper
toire is required. “Our gospel music in
cludes many rearranged hymns, old-
negro spirituals, contemporary gospel
and some original compositions,” said
musician representative Robin Cox.
“It’s my job to choose songs, with my
co-rep (co-musician representative) and
the other musicians. It sounds like a lot
(omliiiued mi pdne 6j
The Black Student Movement has a lot to offer
pbdid hy Ralph Ward
Sibby Anderson, BSM president
by Tonya V. Smith
Staff Writer
Since the organization’s founding in
1968, the Black Student Movement has
helped to increase black awareness at
the University through the recruitment
of black students and faculty, according
to Tonya L. Smith, vice president of the
group.
And the BSM has been a vehicle
through which black students could ex
press their culture and interact socially,
Smith said. “The purpose of the BSM is
to enhance black students’ stay at the
University and to make the University
aware that we’re here.”
The BSM is for black students. Smith
said, but many black students complete
four years of college without actively
participating in it.
“One freshman (when asked what
he thought of the BSM) said it was
made up of ‘middle-class, uppity nig
gers,’ ” said Smith.
BSM President Sibby Anderson said
she also encountered this problem. “As
a member of the BSM for the past two
years. I’ve gotten a lot of feedback . . .
a lot of students think the BSM doesn’t
have programs directly related to
them.”
But the BSM has a lot of programs,
both Anderson and Smith said.
The Central Committee of the BSM is
composed of eleven members who meet
weekly to give committee reports and
discuss BSM functions.
The BSM has a freshman class com
mittee whose responsibility it is to
serve as a liaison between the freshman
class and the BSM. The BSM also has
the Black Ink, a bi-monthly newspaper,
which Cureton Johnson began in I969,
one year after the BSM was founded.
Other BSM subgroups are the Opeyo
Dancers, the Ebony Readers Black Onyx
Theater and the Gospel Choir. These
three subgroups have their own
legislative makeups.
The BSM subgroups are vital for its
purpose to be fulfilled, Smith said.
“They are our best recruitment too!
statewide and outside of the state,”
Smith said.
She said the BSM is a threat to some
eople. Smith alleged that the State
ureau of Investigation (SBI) tapped the
BSM’s office phone in 1979 and 1981
(ciiiitiiiued (III f>af>e (>)