Radjeanny Bouzi ’21, violinist: Lift Every Voice and Sing is very empowering. Several of the participants were asked what the song means to them. The song was written as a poem by NAACP leader James Weldon Johnson and set to music by his brother John Rosamond Johnson in 1899. In honor of Black History Month, the choir recorded a special performance of Lift Every Voice and Sing. I hope we continue to inspire and uplift and encourage people with our singing and influence them in positive ways.” ‘Lift Every Voice’ “GCC adds to the diversity that UCF wants to embrace and have. “It’s a great thing to be able to perform and bring what we have from our culture into spaces with people who may not otherwise be familiar with it,” Lamothe says. They feel they also play an important role in enhancing diversity and inclusion on campus. “The words that we sing have so much power to them that you can see when you’re making an impact in people’s lives.”
“We’ve traveled across the country from Florida to Texas to Georgia to Tennessee for performances and we’ve been able to be a light to those people in the audience who may have had a bad day, or are going through something,” Garcia says. Before the pandemic, GCC was regularly called upon for various events and programs on campus, in the community and beyond. “Singing makes me feel really good inside - like I’m fulfilling a purpose and that I’m using my gift for good,” says Lamothe.Īnd the choir has witnessed first-hand the effect their performances can have on others. “Singing makes me feel powerful,” Pugh says. “Singing makes me feel free,” says Hector Garcia ’21, the choir’s former resident and a recent journalism grad. It’s easy to see the gift music gives to each student.
That’s the kind of impact we want to have - help others feel accepted and appreciated.” Gift of Music They made a real effort to make people feel welcome and included. When I joined GCC, it felt like I had a community I could rely on. It’s hard to not feel like an outsider when you don’t look like the people in your classroom. “When I first got to UCF, I was very culture shocked.
“GCC opens their arms to anybody,” says Loulou Lamothe ’22, a public administration major from Miami who joined the choir in Fall 2018. In addition to being known for their musical talent and ministry, they want to leave a legacy of being a welcoming haven for every student. The choir has grown to more than 30 members with a connected alumni network. They had aspirations to become an independent organization, earn recognition and travel - all goals that today’s choir has achieved. Victor Thomas, who was president of the Black Student Union in 1979, said in an OctoCentral Florida Future article that the intentions of the choir were to promote musical talent, fellowship and enhance social life on campus. 14, 1979, at the Minority Student Services Scholarship Banquet. According to the a Central Florida Future article published July 13, 1979, the choir was formed “because of the strong interest expressed by black students at UCF to have the organization.”īruce Handley (president), Lisa White (secretary) and Patricia Williams (chairman of public relations) served as the organization’s first officers who helped lead the GCC’s debut performance Nov. The UCF Gospel & Cultural Choir started with 23 members more than 40 years ago under the supervision and with support from the Black Student Union and Minority Services Department. That’s what the choir can offer.” The Formation “For Black UCF, there are groups like the African Students Organization or the Black Student Union, but there’s no specific organization that also provides that spiritual side. “Most of the people who join the choir, they struggle to find a church or a faith-based community here in Orlando that they can be a part of,” says Tiffany Pugh ’22, a public administration major. For the past four decades, it has also given students a change to actively and regularly connect two of their biggest passions in life: music and faith. The unity call of the Black National Anthem is also part of the mission of UCF’s Gospel & Cultural Choir.įor many Knights, the Gospel & Cultural Choir provides a welcoming space and a sense of community and belonging on campus.
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