In a scene from Lillies of the Field (1963), protagonist Homer Smith (played by Sidney Poitier) sings a call-and-response hymn “Amen” to a group of German nuns he’s working for. Ralph Nelson, the director of the movie, knew what he was doing when he included this little musical moment. There is definitely a difference in how these characters worship the Lord, but the overall message really resonates with the time the film was released. During the Civil Rights Movement, people from all walks of life came together to fight for equality and justice. Some elements within the movement consisted of local canvassing, boycotts, and marches. What all of these had in common was the power of singing and unity. That’s why this scene means much more than the audience realizes. There’s a ‘both/and’ connection of cross-cultural bonding within the film and organized community sings that occurred in real life.
Last semester for Black History Month, Geneseo held a “Community Sings” two-night event, hosted by acclaimed vocalist, Dr. Ysaÿe Maria Barnwell. Dr. Barnwell is known for traveling the country to encourage people from different communities the power of a vocal community in today’s society. At the event, she brought up how important a vocal community is, especially if a new generation of activists are trying to bring about change within public policy and justice. Overall, Dr. Barnwell stressed the importance of singing within a community to bring out elements of togetherness and harmony.
As the years went by, it seemed as if society became more susceptible to the amount of increased violence and indecency that has occurred. However, from these devasting moments, modern social movements were founded. Since community sings are dying out, not a lot of people are going to be riled up about whatever the cause is they’re fighting for. Luckily, it was the Black Lives Matter Movement, the Me Too Movement, or the Gay Rights Movement, uplifting songs were present throughout to raise activists’ morals.