A Black History Celebration Through Gospel Music

A Black History Celebration concert and educational presentation, titled Our Rich History: The Power of Music, took place on Wednesday, February 4, in the Joe Mauer Field House. The program explored the history of gospel music, tracing its evolution from early spirituals to contemporary styles, and highlighted its role in expressing faith, resilience, and community throughout Black history. The event also included student narrations and reflections.

The presentation featured Kimberly Brown, a Twin Cities–based gospel singer and songwriter and former member of the Grammy Award–winning group Sounds of Blackness. Brown shared her music and experience, connecting gospel traditions to their historical and cultural roots.

CDH students provided narrations throughout the program, offering historical context and guiding the audience through each segment of the presentation. Narrators included Amir Shaheed ’27, Ja’maya Pettigrew ’27, and Rhema Edomaruseh ’27.

Student reflections were shared by Ja’maya Pettigrew ’27 and Rhema Edomaruseh ’27.

Choir students, led by Choir Director Ms. Delilah Schuster, joined in the performance alongside the other performers. Choir members included Amya Mercado ’29, Rhema Edomaruseh ’27, Terenata James ’27, Lela Jones ’27, Cali Weckman ’26, and Taylor White ’26.