Since 1973, Sweet Honey In The Rock® has moved and mattered, and will continue to do so thanks to one of its founders, Bernice Johnson Reagon (1942-2024). It seems fitting to re-share (from a previous post) “Gonna Rise,” not only to pay homage to this activist, but also to remind myself that we still have a lot of work to do.
In the past, we asked: In the midst of today’s tragic social, political, racial, gendered, and other conflicts, can amateur and professional music makers and school and community music programs contribute to positive social and community transformations?
Yes. Ms. Reagon showed us how.