James F. Lawrence
It was nothing short of a blessing to hear and watch the Lifeline Quartet perform Sept. 29 at Gainesville for All’s fifth anniversary celebration. The spirituals they sang took on new life as their lead singer, Michelle Mayne-Graves, explained that mainstays of African-American sacred music were also code-songs used as guides for the Underground Railroad.
I felt an awakening, and so did others in the racially mixed audience at the Phillips Center for the Performing Acts, as Mayne-Graves talked about how, for instance, the spiritual ‘’Wade in the Water’’ was used to signal to escaping slaves that they should get in the water to lose the scent of chasing dogs.
Then Mayne-Graves shared her insight that the song “Steal Away,” usually thought of in the Black church as meaning heaven bound, was used to communicate that “we’re leaving tonight’’ to escape to freedom.
For the 30 minutes or so that the quartet performed I sensed a shared experience of humanity among those in the room. I saw it in the eyes of the masked faces and in the way they moved their heads to the a capella beat.
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The songs sang that evening were many of the same songs that were voice by the racially diverse crowds that comprised the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s. It could not have been more appropriate that such a crowd gathered to reflect on our work of the past five years to advance justice and equality for all in the Gainesville community.
But don’t think for a second that we’re about to rest on our laurels. If anything, we’re more committed to our mission than ever. I was reminded of that, and so were others judging from the reaction to Lifeline’s rendition of “Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me ‘Round’’ and “Keep Your Hands on the Plow.”
While legal slavery may no longer exist, the struggle continues. Anyone who doesn’t agree should take a look at the three-year-old report, Understanding Racial Inequity in Alachua County, which documented widespread disparities between Black people and Caucasians.
Nowhere is the gap wider than in education, which has opened the door to lifelong benefits for practically every ethnic group that makes up the American mosaic. Granted, more than a handful of African Americans have also benefited greatly from education. But there is no denying that far too many still lag.
This imbalance has lots to do with why Gainesville for All remains determined to open the Gainesville Empowerment Zone Family Learning Center. We believe that by helping low-income families as early as pregnancy and through kindergarten, these children will finally get the boost they need to succeed in the classroom. At the same time their families will be provided a range of services such as job training, parental coaching and health care that can help them become more stable.
There are already signs that we’re on the right track. In recent days, the Gannett Foundation awarded us a $25,000 grant as part of its $2 million investment in noteworthy community initiatives across the country.
Back in August, Incite, a California-based investment fund that describes its mission as helping to “transform a big idea into a big deal,” donated $50,000 to our efforts, while we collected nearly $20,000 in an online fundraising campaign.
You’ve probably heard me mention these gifts in the recent past, but I can’t say enough how grateful we are to a growing legion of people, both locally and from around the nation, who are recognizing the merit of the work underway.
James F. Lawrence is executive director of GNV4ALL. Send emails to gnv4all@gmail.com.
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