On Feb. 29, the Office of Minority Fairs and fraternity, Alpha Phi Alpha, sponsored a viewing of UTM communications instructor Henrietta Giles’ documentary, “Reflect, Reclaim, Rejoice: Preserving the Gift of Black Sacred Music” at 7 p.m. in the Gooch Hall Glen Gallien Auditorium.
The United Methodist production was created when the religious group noticed the move from traditional music to a more contemporary form. To show the cultural and historical importance of black worship music, as well as need for preservation, the organization created the Africana Hymnal Project.
Narrator and award winning actress, Alfre Woodard, guided the audience through history and around the country to show how certain forms of spiritual music developed.
The film featured many religious leaders and participants in South Carolina, Maryland, Georgia, Mississippi and Tennessee. It also looked at the creation of singing and prayer bands, call and response songs, long meter hymns and spirituals.
In many cases, the music was a source of strength and hope during times of oppression and progression.
“The movement couldn’t have survived without music. It was not only the movement, it was life itself,” said prominent Civil Rights Movement leader, Rev. Joseph E. Lowery.
Giles was selected to write, direct and produce the documentary after previous work with the United Methodist Church, and it was released in 2014. She grew up listening to this kind of music and had also noticed its decline in houses of worship.
“When I was given the opportunity to do it, I jumped at it because I love this music,” said Giles.
The documentary won an Emmy Award in 2014, adding another component to Giles’ resume.
Before coming to UTM to teach, Giles produced work for channels and organizations such as CBS News, Hallmark Channel, CMT, MTV, Food Network, The Oprah Winfrey Show and the Oprah Winfrey Network. She has also written and produced the movie “Waiting in the Wings: African Americans in Country Music.” Additionally, she wrote a book with Lowery titled, “Singing the Lord’s Song in a Strange Land.”
Among those in the audience of the Gooch auditorium were friends, family, students and colleagues of Giles.
“That was great. That really warmed my heart to look out and see all of them there,” said Giles of her co-workers. “I’m so happy that they came, [and] that they stayed. Everybody works really long hours and so to stay a little bit longer to attend meant a lot to me.”
Alpha Phi Alpha partnered with minority affairs to continue education during Black History month. Senior criminal justice major and president, Kameron Echols, wanted to “bring a different program to the campus”.
“I believe the part of the documentary where it says we as young people want to have more [of a] contemporary feel. I think they found a reason to tie back to the black sacred music,” said Echols. “…When a lot of people come to school they struggle with the spirituality they had back home so we opened the door for them to reconnect.”
