During the week honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., this tradition felt especially alive. Dr. King’s leadership in the Civil Rights Movement both made him a global symbol of liberation or justice, demonstrating that the fight for freedom was not only waged in courtrooms and on marches, but also in churches and community gatherings where songs lifted broken spirits. Music sustained the movement; it reminded people that they were not alone. This spirit was beautifully embodied when Rev. Angela Jones graced us with sacred songs rooted in African American tradition. Her voice was more than melody; it was memory.
For me, it reminded me of my grandmother, who led a group of women in the harvest season in Liberia, West Africa. Each note carried echoes of ancestors singing through labor and hardship and the joy of community, ancestors who sang to keep hope alive, and who sang to affirm their humanity. At that moment, we were reminded that singing is communal. It binds people together, creating space for reflection, gratitude, and unity.
As we reflect during Martin Luther King Jr. Week, we are called not only to remember history but to participate in it. The sacred tradition of singing challenges us to carry forward the legacy of hope, faith, and collective strength. When we sing, we honor those who came before us. When we listen, we learn. When we join our voices together, we continue a culture that refuses to be silenced. Singing, in the African American experience, is more than music. It is survival. It is resistance. It is faith. And above all, it is hope made audible. Above is an audio of Rev. Jones singing.
During the week honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a global symbol of liberation and justice, this tradition felt especially alive. Dr. King’s leadership during the Civil Rights Movement reminds us that the fight for freedom was not only waged in courtrooms and on marches, but also in churches and community gatherings where songs lifted broken spirits. Music sustained the movement; it reminded people that they were not alone. This spirit was beautifully embodied when Rev. Angela Jones graced us with sacred songs rooted in African American tradition.
Her voice was more than melody, it was memory. For me, it reminded me of my grandmother leading a group of women in the harvest season in Liberia. Each note carried echoes of ancestors who sang through hardship, who sang to keep hope alive, and who sang to affirm their humanity.
At that moment, we were reminded that singing is communal. It binds people together, creating space for reflection, gratitude, and unity.
Peace,
Debra Gonkpah ’26