Western Michigan University Choir Under Fire For Singing Negro Spirituals

Precious songs created by our ancestors have been hijacked by a guest artist invited to direct a concert choir concert at Western Michigan University. The Black guest artist John Wesley Wright and the white choir are making the rounds on social media singing the old Negro spirituals.
The concert was entitled "Spirituals: From Ship to Shore." And it's being reported that Wright said that ''these songs don't belong to one race.''

Shout out to senior Shaylee Faught for bringing attention to this abomination. Ms. Faught sent an email to WMU's Dean as well as to the university's Dean of Fine Arts, the Board of Trustees, the Director of the School of Music, and the office for diversity and inclusion: "While I understand the importance of education, I think there is a fine line between appreciation and appropriation, and the concert last night seemed very inappropriate. As a Black woman, Negro Spirituals are a part of my history and my culture, and it signifies the struggle and hardships my ancestors went through. The way the program last night was portrayed is that it is all fun and games and is merely entertainment."

Ms. Faught is asking for a public apology from the school, that Wright never be invited back, and that the next time a performance of the like is put on that the students from the actual culture be consulted to ensure nothing is offensive.

Sources:
https://twitter.com/shayy_marieeeDT/status/1230608227206934529?s=20

https://wkzo.com/news/articles/2020/feb/21/video-of-wmu-spirituals-choir-concert-sparks-controversy/987254/

"Wade in the Water," sung the "right" way: