It gives me great pleasure tonight to welcome
you to the 14th annual Black Music and the
Civil Rights Movement Concert that is sponsored
by the Junior Black Academy of Arts and Letters.
It also gives me honor to congratulate Curtis
King on his 20th anniversary.
We have all come tonight to celebrate and to
give honor to an era that moved African
Americans as well as Anglo-Americans and our
society forward.
In this commemoration, we also want to give
honor and thanks to the late Dr. Martin Luther
King Jr. for all the contributions that he made
that we may be able to sit in a building
such as the Martin Morrison Symphony Center tonight.
So thank you.
On behalf of our Mayor Ron Kirk and the whole
Dallas City Council, I bring you greetings
and thanks for celebrating this wonderful
occasion tonight.
You're in for a treat and we hope that you will
enjoy it as much as we're going to by
presenting it to you.
Thank you very much.
Good evening, ladies and gentlemen.
I'm Louis White and I am honored to be a part
of the Junior Black Academy of Arts and Letters
14th annual Black Music and the Civil Rights
Movement Concert.
More importantly, this concert marks the 20th
anniversary year of the academies as a chartered
African American cultural institution based in
the state of Texas and the city of Dallas.
Over the past years, this concert has touched
the lives of many, many people, artists and patrons.
It has recognized and given homage to those who
have worked in the Civil Rights Movement
and those who have participated in this concert.
Following in the spirit of the late, great Dr.
Martin Luther King Jr. and our African
ancestry, we have come together to commemorate
Dr. King's legacy through the works and efforts.
This particular institution, which has brought
to this community notable artists, scholars,
intellectuals and thinkers from around this
nation and this world.
Twenty years later, we have come together to
recommit, rededicate, recognize, mobilize,
strategize and harmonize and lift up the
ancient spirit of God, our mothers, our
fathers, sisters
and brothers throughout this entire world.
Following in the footsteps of the traditions of
our ancestry for parents, it is customary
to pour libations in remembrance of the
ancestors, its predecessors and successors on
all special occasions.
And tonight is a special occasion for the
motherland cradle of civilization, for the
ancestors and their indomitable spirit, for the
elders from whom we can learn much, for
our youth who represent the promise of
tomorrow, for our people, the original people,
for the
creator who provides all things, great and
small, for the pride in our African and African
American race, for our struggle and those who
struggle on our behalf, for our hopes
and dreams, for our struggles and in
remembrance, for those who have struggled on
our behalf,
like the Martin Luther King, Fannie Lou Hamers,
Sojourner Truth, Harriet Tubmans, Nat Turners,
Marcus Garvey, Lorraine Hansberry, Paul
Robeson, Hattie McDaniels and Langston Hughes.
Remember me, remember me, oh Lord,
remember me, remember me,
remember me, oh Lord, remember me.
We must still dance, ah, from midnight.
For the spirit of the many individuals who have
had a hand in helping to build this institution,
we remember, Naomi Brute, Maddie Davis, Dr. Eva
Jesse, Clarence Meade, Michael Terrell,
Jesse Reed, Dr. Selma George, the Reverend S.M.
Wright, Sr.,
Larris Stevens, Nawan Robertson, Mack
McClendon, Sisko Cruz, Rhian Cannon, Joey
MacBeth, Walter Wynn, Andre George,
Willis Lyons, Howard Roberts, Chloe
Silversmith, Stetson Spien, Mrs. Carol C.
Anderson, David Nance, Dr. Emmett Cunran,
Dr. David Warranty, Tom Carey, Dr. Adam Thurst,
Joey Pugambo, Alex Moore, and Mabel Chandler.
We remember you.
Ah, from midnight.
Dance, and we dance, here from home.
Thank you.
And for the Junior Black Academy of Arts and
Letters, we now remember you, the many warriors
who endured and preserved beyond reproach for
these 20 years.
In 1897, when Reverend Dr. Alexander Cromwell
and Dr. W.E.B. Dubois founded the American
Negro Academy in Washington, D.C., and several
decades later, in 1969, when WE, Black Academy
of Arts and Letters, was established in New
York City by a host of artistic and scholarly luminaries.
Little did they know that a third generation
called the Junior Black Academy of Arts and
Letters would be formed.
The Junior Black Academy of Arts and Letters,
founded by Curtis King in 1972, was chartered
and incorporated in the state of Texas July 17, 1977.
Believing that the arts, and particularly
African American arts, are important to
humanistic and cultural understanding, the
Junior Black Academy of Arts and Letters and
its followers believed that it was time for
brothers and sisters to get up because they
have a job to do.
And when obstacles were put in the
institution's pathway, they would protest. They
would rise up and walk because nothing was more
powerful than a mind made up.
Get up, my brothers, and see what can be done.
Get up, my sisters, you've got a race to run.
The clouds of light are hanging low. Where it
will be done, no one seems to know.
Get up, my brothers, and try to reach a goal.
Get up, my sisters, and show them you've got a soul.
The clouds of light are hanging low. Where it
will be done, no one seems to know.
Get up, my brothers, and see what can be done.
Get up, my sisters, you've got a race to run.
The clouds of light are hanging low. Where it
will be done, no one seems to know.
Get up, my brothers, and see what can be done.
Get up, my sisters, and see what can be done.
Thank you.
I've got a job. You've got a job. I've got children.
We've got a job.
You've got a job. I've got children. We've got
a job.
You've got a job.
Get up, my brothers, and see what can be done.
Get up, my sisters, and see what can be done.
Get up, my brothers, and see what can be done.
Get up, my sisters, and see what can be done.
Get up, my brothers, and see what can be done.
Get up, my sisters, and see what can be done.
Get up, my brothers, and see what can be done.
Get up, my sisters, and see what can be done.
Some day.
Ladies and gentlemen,
I can say many things about our next performer,
our honored guest,
but what can I say that you don't already know
about this young man?
A big Metroplex welcome for Mr. Pop Wyman.
I need the Lord to guide me every day.
As I travel along life's narrow way.
No affliction can press my soul and lead me to
reach my goal.
For I've got to have Jesus, though I just can't
make it by myself.
Though I'm riding life's rails way, all alone.
And you have no one to call your own.
Leave the train at the station, call Jesus on
Heaven's telephone.
For I've got to have my Jesus, though I just
can't make it by myself.
Don't you know that I pray, pray, pray.
And that's the Lord who's gonna lead me by myself.
Every minute, every hour of the day.
Every week, every week.
I've got to have Jesus, though I just can't
make it by myself.
I love me Lord, I need to know.
Every day, oh yeah.
As I travel along life's narrow way.
No affliction can press my soul and lead me to
reach my goal.
For I've got to have Jesus, though I just can't
make it by myself.
As I travel life highway all alone.
Oh, and you have no one that you can call your own.
Send me the train at the next station, call
Jesus on Heaven's telephone.
Though I cannot make this journey all by myself.
Every day I pray, pray, pray.
And that's the Lord who's gonna lead me by myself.
Every second, every minute, every hour of the day.
Every week, every month, every year.
I've got to have Jesus, though I just can't
make it by myself.
I've got to have it.
I've got to have Jesus.
I can't make it.
I've got to have Jesus.
I can't make it.
I've got to have it.
I can't make it.
I've got to have Jesus.
I just can't make it by myself.
Oh, yes. Wonderful.
Welcome to ideal plays.
And don't you be afraid, Joy comes in the morning,
when troubles they don't cast away.
For there's a friend in Jesus who will wipe
your tears away.
And if your heart is broken, just lift your
hand and say,
Oh, I know that I can make it. I know that I
can stand.
No matter what, they come my way. Our life is
in your hands.
Don't have to worry, and don't you feel afraid,
Joy comes in the morning, when troubles they
don't cast away.
For there's a friend in Jesus who will wipe
your tears away.
And if your heart is broken, just lift your
hand and say,
Oh, I know that I can make it. I know that I
can stand.
No matter what, they come my way. Our life is
in your hands.
Jesus, I can make it. With Him I know I can stand.
No matter what, they come my way. Our life is
in your hands.
Don't have to worry, and don't you feel afraid,
Joy comes in the morning, when troubles they
don't cast away.
For there's a friend in Jesus who will wipe
your tears away.
And if your heart is broken, just lift your
hand and say,
Oh, I know that I can make it. I know that I
can stand.
No matter what, they come my way. Our life is
in your hands.
Jesus, I can make it. With Him I know I can stand.
No matter what, they come my way. Our life is
in your hands.
I know that I can make it. I know that I can stand.
No matter what, they come my way. Our life is
in your hands.
Jesus, I can make it. With Him I know I can stand.
No matter what, they come my way. Our life is
in your hands.
Jesus, I can make it. I know that I can stand.
No matter what, they come my way. Our life is
in your hands.
Jesus, I can make it. With Him I know I can stand.
No matter what, they come my way. Our life is
in your hands.
Our life is in your hands.
The Academy has not existed without its share
of devastating moments.
One of the most trying times was when the
Academy lost its home on Peek Street.
Six years, from 1983 until 1989, the Academy
was homeless.
It was days, weeks, months, in and out of
courtrooms and city Council chambers
before the Academy landed its permanent home in
the convention center.
In the words of Maya Angelou, the night has
been long.
The wounds have been deep. The pit has been
dark. The walls have been steep.
But somehow the institution found strength in
songs like these.
God never fails. I didn't have no doubt.
I can go to the Rock and know He can, believe
He will.
God never fails.
He never fails.
God never fails. No, He never fails.
Just keep, keep loving.
Don't you ever, don't you ever stop praying.
I want somebody to know that God, He never fails.
God never fails. Oh, no.
God never fails. No, He never fails.
Oh, just walk, walk the praise.
He'll come see about you, maybe in the morning,
maybe in the new day, late night.
I want somebody to know that God, He never fails.
You know He won't fail.
I want you to know, know He won't fail.
I know He won't fail.
J-B-A-L, no, He won't fail.
Oh, He won't fail. No, He won't fail.
J-B-A-L, no, He won't fail.
He won't fail.
J-B-A-L, no, He won't fail.
He won't fail.
We shall overcome.
We shall overcome some day.
Deep in my heart, I do believe that we shall
overcome some day.
We'll walk hand in hand.
We'll walk hand in hand someday.
Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe we'll walk
hand in hand someday.
But until we do, we won't get through.
Until we reach, until we reach the top.
But we've got to keep hope alive.
We've got to keep hope alive.
Oh, keep hope alive.
Keep hope alive.
If we love one another, we'll keep it alive.
Don't let the dream die.
Don't let it die.
If we love one another, we'll keep hope alive.
Oh, keep hope alive.
Keep hope alive.
Keep it alive.
Don't let the dream die.
Keep hope alive.
Don't let the dream die.
Don't let it die.
We'll walk hand in hand, we'll keep hope alive.
Just keep hope alive.
Keep hope alive.
Keep it alive.
Don't let the dream die.
Please don't let it die.
If we love one another, we'll keep hope alive.
Keep hope alive.
Keep it alive.
The history of the academy is rich.
It has touched so many human lives that only
time and eternity would be able to record.
An ocean of tears have been shed and seas of
salty sweat have literally blistered human skin
from the tedious work trying to survive in a
community that practices inhuman acts
because of color and because of race.
Over these 20 years, the burden sometimes has
seemed too hard to bear,
the cross too heavy to carry, the road too
rough to ride, the task too much to endure.
What would have happened had it not been for a
junior black academy of arts and letters?
Young people's dreams crushed, no place for
music, theater, dance, visual arts,
films, conferences, workshops, festivals, no
place for African-American cultural expression,
no plays, concerts, comedy reviews, no Eartha
Kits, Jennifer Holidays, James Kims, Eva Jessies,
Naomi Bruton, Roger Boykins, Frank Frazier's
Shucking Duckies, Quack Quack,
Anita Otterberries, no Yabroan peoples and no
Margaret Walkers,
no place to share collective intellectual
stimulation, no place for artistic trial and error,
no place for laughter, no place to call home,
but we still have joy.
Yes, Miss Angelou, the Junior Black Academy of
Arts and Letters knows from these 20 years
the night has been long, the wounds have been
deep, the pit has been dark, the walls have
been steep,
but after all we've been through we still, we
still have joy.
I still have joy down in my soul.
God promised that he wouldn't leave me. He
promised that he'd take care of me through it all.
All of my ups and downs I still, I still have joy.
I still have joy down in my soul.
God promised that he wouldn't leave me. He
promised that he'd take care of me all through
it all.
All of my ups and downs I still, I still have joy.
Oh, I still have joy down in my soul.
God promised that he wouldn't leave me. He
promised that he'd take care of me through it all.
All of my ups and downs I still, I still have
joy. Oh, I still have joy.
Down in my soul. God promised that he wouldn't
leave me. He promised that he'd take care of me
through it all.
All of my ups and downs I still, I still have joy.
I still have joy down in my soul. God promised
that he wouldn't leave me. Yes, he promised
that he would take care of me.
All of my ups and downs I still, I still have joy.
I still have joy down in my soul. God promised
that he wouldn't leave me. Yes, he promised
that he would take care of me.
Through all of my, through all of my ups and
downs I still, I still have joy.
I still have joy down in my soul. God promised
that he wouldn't leave me. He promised that
he'd take care of me through it all.
All of my ups and downs I still, I still have joy.
I still have joy down in my soul. God promised
that he wouldn't leave me. Yes, he promised
that he'd take care of me through it all.
All of my ups and downs I still, I still have joy.
I still have joy down in my soul. God promised
that he wouldn't leave me. Yes, he promised
that he would take care of me through it all.
I still have joy down in my soul. God promised
that he wouldn't leave me. Yes, he promised
that he would take care of me.
I still have joy down in my soul. God promised
that he wouldn't leave me. Yes, he promised
that he wouldn't leave me.
I still have joy down in my soul. God promised
that he wouldn't leave me. He promised that
he'd take care of me through it all.
All of my ups and downs I still have joy.
I still have joy down in my soul. God promised
that he wouldn't leave me. He promised that
he'd take care of me through it all.
I still have joy down in my soul.
God promised that he wouldn't leave me. He
promised that he would take care of me through
it all.
He promised that he would take care of me
through it all.
I still have joy down in my soul.
Everybody, joy! Joy! I still have joy! Joy! Joy! Joy!
I still have joy down in my soul. I still have
joy down in my soul.
Joy! Joy! Joy! Joy!
In my wings and my wings I have to run
Oh, see I have, I have to run
Hey, I see you
Yes, I still have Yeah
Yes, I do, Lord
I do, hey, yeah Yeah
It's awesome.
I gotta do a little, I guess a small amount of
tagging here.
Mr. Jones, Aubrey Jones is the choir director
at Lincoln High School.
Yeah, the Marina Baylor Concert Choir.
Also the young man that I'm about to introduce
to you, he's a former student of mine.
He is the, that's right, time marks his own,
doesn't it?
He's the assistant program director at V100.
I introduce to you Mr. Keith Solis.
Alright. Sound like y'all want to have some
church in here tonight.
I was trying to get Curtis King to allow me to
ask the choir to do one more, but I don't know.
Do y'all want it home?
Next year.
Have y'all had a good time? Let's hear it.
I've had a wonderful time. The Junior Black
Academy of Arts and Letters proudly celebrates
its 20th anniversary season.
Tonight's 14th annual Black Music and the Civil
Rights Movement Concert was provided and
performed by the outstanding,
JBAAL Concert Choir.
At this time I'd like to introduce you to the
soloists that we heard from tonight, starting
with Althea Johnson.
Jackie Blunt.
Lonnie Hightower.
Jerry Beckham.
Kathy Marshall.
Bonita Miller.
Limuel Brown.
John Archie Sanders. Alright.
David Jones.
Sharon Ephram.
Barbara Sims.
Tweety Thomas.
Lunita White.
Carolyn Donnell.
Wait a minute, can you stand up again?
Carolyn Donnell was my music teacher at Ballad
Story back in the day.
So give it up for her.
And I didn't pass music, that's why I'm talking.
Dejor Nance.
Corletta Smith.
Last but not least, Judy Tucker.
The African drummer.
Adesina and the African Liberations performed
by Ryufa Duradoye.
But they've already gone, but give it to them again.
And of course our musicians for tonight is
Sherry Jackson.
And I don't know about you, but this is the
first time I've ever seen a sister on drums and
she was doing it.
Gordon Polk.
Percussionist Scott Knight.
Who's on bass.
Paul Jackson on keyboards.
Anthony Robinson on piano.
Let's give the organist some, Jerry Mitchell.
And the guest instrumentalist tonight was John
Mark Tatum on piano.
And the guest organist and Dallas native who
now currently resides in Phoenix, Arizona, Mr.
Lucius R. Weathersby.
The conductors, Audrey Jones.
From Lincoln High School, my alma mater, Audrey Jones.
And Pat Casse.
And our special guest artists, before there was
BBMCC, Marvin Carvin, Angie and Debbie, there
was Mom and Pop.
Please welcome Mom and Pop Wydens.
And a special thanks goes to the narrator slash
actor for this evening's concert who was my
radio TV teacher at Lincoln High School just a
few years ago.
And he just recently earned his Ph.D.., Dr.
Louis Wolfman White.
Ladies and gentlemen, this has been a wonderful
and inspiring evening and I cannot wait until
next year.
At this time, from KXAS-TV Channel 5 with some
special remarks, please welcome Kendall Traylor.
Hello, or maybe at tonight I should say Heaven
oh. This has been a wonderful and uplifting
evening. I think everyone here deserves another
round of applause.
On behalf of our station, I want to say that
it's truly a pleasure and an honor to once
again sponsor this annual tribute to Dr. Martin
Luther King Jr.
For hundreds of years, music has been the
language of the African-American struggle for
freedom from slavery through civil rights
movement to the present.
For 14 years, Curtis King and his marvelous dad
have produced this exciting event and I hope
that each and every one of you will leave here
tonight and continue to work diligently towards
Dr. King's dream of equality.
Today, it is so important that we not become
too comfortable and forget the struggles and
the accomplishments that our parents and
grandparents have made.
That we empower ourselves and bring our
children to cultural events such as this one
that celebrate our heritage.
And that we spend our time and our money to
make sure organizations like the Junior Black
Academy of Arts and Letters are here to help us
celebrate our heritage.
The Junior Black Academy of Arts and Letters
has been presenting fine plays, lectures,
classes, exhibits, and performances for us for
20 years.
Channel 5 is committed to doing our part to
support them and will continue our support
throughout the year.
And we encourage you to continue your fine
support by visiting the Living Legends exhibit
which is on now at the Junior Black Academy of
Arts and Letters.
That's a lot to say. Again, it's been a
wonderful evening. Thank you and God bless you.
Good evening ladies and gentlemen. I am Ella
Good Johnson, the Chair of the Board of
Directors for the Junior Black Academy of Arts
and Letters.
Have you enjoyed tonight's Jubilee Celebration?
If there are other Board of Directors present,
please stand and join me as we say thanks to
you, our audience, for coming to be with us
tonight in sharing in our 14th annual Black
Music and the Civil Rights Movement Concert.
This is the 20th anniversary of the Junior
Black Academy of Arts and Letters.
And as you are aware, you are the special
people that have been behind the movement to
ensure that there has been perpetuity in the
life of the Academy for these 20 years.
Again, thanks to you, our patrons.
And to tonight's sponsors, we give thanks and
praises KXAS Television, Channel 5, the Texas
News Channel, and to Al Flores.
Our season is made possible by the Texas
Commission on the Arts, the City of Dallas
Office of Cultural Affairs, Channel 4, Genesis
Graphics, Wise Way Printing, KKDA K104, the
Dallas Weekly, and Evans Engraving.
We would like to acknowledge the presence of
national government officials that might be
present tonight. Will you stand and be recognized?
If there are state, county, or city government
officials, please stand and be recognized.
The Academy also has special guests in the
audience that we're going to ask to come down
front for a special presentation. We call to
the front of the stage the principals and
choral directors of the Dallas Public Schools
who have received special invocations from us tonight.
Please come down front.
You will hear more from them later.
Each year at this concert, we recognize and
dedicate to several choir members who have
given unrelenting service to the development of
this choir concert.
This year's 14th anniversary concert is
dedicated to, and we're going to ask them to
come down front, Miss Donna Marshall, Miss
Gloria Hogue, Miss Rose Mitchell.
These are three choir members who have been
with us since the very beginning.
Let's give them a warm applause.
On behalf of the Academy, thank you for 14
years of volunteer service. Thank you very much.
To make a special presentation at this time is
the Honorable Councilwoman Barbara Mallory Caraway.
Thank you very much. If Mom and Pop Winans
would please come to the stage.
I have a special presentation for the two of
you. For many years, I worked for one of the
leading gospel stations in the Dallas-Fort
Worth area, and we have the privilege to play
many of your songs, as well as your children.
You have made a wonderful contribution, not
only to the legacy of gospel music, but you're
carrying on through your children to ensure
that that quality of music continues.
I have to present to you, on behalf of our
mayor and our city council, the key to the city
of Dallas.
Now what this means is that we are so grateful
that you have graced our city, and we hope that
our hospitality will be befitting to all the
wonderful things that you have done throughout
your history and throughout your lives.
So on behalf of the city, we hope that you feel
wonderfully comfortable here, as well as if
there is anything that you need, want, or just
desire, please feel free to call on our city
and me personally.
Thank you very much.
The next person you will meet has earned the
right to jump and shout all over this stage, if
he so chooses, because he has been at the helm
of our organization for 20 years.
Ladies and gentlemen, it is my pleasure to
present to you, world-renowned, but still
Dallas' own, the executive director and founder
of the Junior Black Academy of Arts and
Letters, Mr. Curtis L. King.
Thank you very much.
Twenty years doesn't come a lot, right?
The next time we see another 20, it will be 40
years, and I hope I would have retired by then.
First of all, we want these people to come to
the stage, the choral director, Mr. Audra Jones
and the principal, Dr. Beverly Chen and the
principal, Mr. Rodell Williams and his principal,
Ms. Alberta Williams and principal, Billy
Roberts and principal, Raymond Greer and
principal, Alan Brandon and principal.
For the past three years, the Junior Black
Academy of Arts and Letters adopted seven high
schools, and those high schools were Lincoln
High School, W.D. Carter High School, Franklin
D. Roosevelt High School,
A. Maciel Smith High School, Kimball High
School, Pinkston High School, and South Oak
Cliff High School. And every December, we
present a concert at the Junior Black Academy
of Arts and Letters, and all the proceeds from
that concert goes directly to the schools.
So for the past three years, we have presented
seven schools over $25,000 to support their
choral music program.
And these choral directors are absolutely
incredible. So this year, what we want to do is
present each one of the schools for their
choral music program only a check for $1,100
for their choral music program.
And if you've not seen this concert, please
keep your calendars open for December of next
year. It is an absolute delight. We have
anywhere between 300 and 500 young people that
participate in this program.
Next year, what we're working on now is to
integrate the young people from the seven high
schools with 300 young people called from the
Washington Society for the Performing Arts and
a symphony from St. Louis.
We're going to take these young people to the
Kennedy Center to do one joint program. That's
what we're working on for next year. Thank you
very much, and we appreciate your support.
Now, we hope to see everybody at the Academy.
We have our retrospective living legend
exhibition. I think everybody know where the
Academy is. It's on the corner of Cannon and
Acker Street in the Dallas Convention Center.
Please come meet the guest artist, meet the
choir, and let's just have a really good time. Yeah.