- Good evening, and welcome to the 2025 Potpourri of the Arts concert. Welcome. I'm Dr. Raymond Wise,
- Executive Director of the African American Arts Institute, and it's my honor to greet you for this vibrant
- celebration of African American music, dance, and culture. Now, from the very beginning, I want to give
- you permission to celebrate with us. African American art is a collective experience.
- It lives through the energy between performers and audience. So clap your hands, move to the rhythm,
- shout if you want, but let the spirit in you join our spirit as well. Now tonight, we stand on the shoulders
- of more than 50 years of artistic excellence. For over five decades, the IU Soul Review, the African
- American Dance Company, and the African American Arts Institute have lifted voices, preserved traditions,
- and created spaces of belonging and expression for IU students.
- And this year, we're especially proud and honored to have the 50th anniversary celebration of the African
- American Choral Ensemble. A milestone, yes, a milestone.
- It's a milestone that reminds us of the power of legacy learning and love through the arts. We're deeply
- grateful for so many sponsors, donors, and friends who've made this evening possible, including Old
- National Bank, the Jacobs School of Music, Connie and Jim Cooke, Annie Willis, and all others who sponsored
- groups and donated tickets for students. We want to give a special thanks tonight to our AAI staff,
- including Jerrica Stocker, our project management specialist, Johnny Campbell, our technical director,
- to our director,
- Stafford C. Barry, Jr., and James Strong, and our Emeritus Faculty, Professor Iris Rosa and Dr.
- Charles Sykes, former director who now serves as our historian. We're grateful for them and we thank
- them for their work and service. But I also want to say thanks to our more than 20 student employees
- who are second to none.
- I'd like to also thank the Neil Marshall staff, Dr. Gloria Howe, Tim Womack, Nancy Cross-Paris, and
- the Neil Marshall ambassadors who have been working with us, and we thank you for your continual support.
- I want to also say thanks to the IU auditorium staff and the excellent technicians who've partnered
- with us to bring this performance to life tonight. From the lighting, to the sound, to the tech crew,
- we appreciate all of you. We also want to thank our academic home, the Department of African American
- and African Diaspora Studies, through which our students earn academic credit.
- I'd also like to acknowledge the College of Arts and Sciences, but most importantly, I want to acknowledge
- our students who represent many majors, backgrounds, and ethnicities. They come together to do their
- best work and embody the diversity and the unity of our IU community. And though they are students,
- not professionals, they strive to perform at a professional level, and they work with passion and excellence
- to inspire all of us.
- Then to our parents and our family members who've traveled from afar, thank you. Your support means
- the world to our students and especially a personal thanks to my wife and my son and my best friends
- who've come from Ohio to be with us tonight. We're glad that you are here.
- And also, we want to thank all of you, our IU community, the Bloomington community, our Indianapolis
- community, for your continual support, because you didn't have to come today, but you did. And we truly
- appreciate it, and we thank you for just showing up. Then we want to welcome our visiting students.
- We've got some high school students visiting, some from Gary, Indiana. I believe you're in the house.
- Welcome. We're glad you're here. We've got some students from Indianapolis. We've got some students
- from Bloomington.
- We're glad you are here and thank you for coming. And we want you to take part in our outreach programs.
- If you're singers and musicians, we've got Camp Soul. If you're dancers, we've got Cucasonia.
- the dance workshop, and we invite you to be a part of these programs. These programs literally will
- spark young talent that grow into lifelong artistry, leadership, and community impact. And today to
- see that impact, one of our guests tonight, our guest performers, Barbara Stafford C. Berry and company,
- they are alumni of our programs and they're living proofs of the legacy we continue to build here at
- the AAAI. So if you want more information, see the back of your program and you can register for those
- programs as well. Now looking ahead,
- Mark your calendars for ACE's 50th anniversary alumni concert celebration on February the 21st, 2026.
- We plan to bring more than 100 current and former ACE members to the MAX stage, and we're gonna have
- a great time. And if you're a singer in ACE or used to be a part of ACE, come and join us. Then also
- look for our spring concert series. The African American Dance Company will be on April 18th. The IU
- Soul Rebut will be on April 25th, and ACE will be on May the 2nd. Now, I want to share that all that
- you see tonight
- as a result of the vision of Herman C. Hudson, who served as the former Vice Chancellor of Black Affairs.
- And we cannot let his vision die. So as we transition into our new homes in the College of Arts and
- Sciences, we face some challenges.
- but also some new opportunities. And your support is going to be vital in helping us to continue this
- important work. So we ask you to please consider joining our Just One campaign. If you look on page
- 10 of your program, you'll see there is a QR code there. But it's basically an invitation for everyone
- to give just $1 or any amount that you can to help sustain these transformative programs. And if you're
- unable to give financially, perhaps you can consider just writing a note or writing a letter talking
- about the impact of the AAI
- in your life and together even small acts and things that we do can really make a big difference.
- Now, our theme tonight is Together Again. It celebrates our commitment to reconnect, to rejoice,
- to recommit. And what you'll see on the stage is basically a testament to what happens when we all come
- together across generations, disciplines, and communities to celebrate the beauty and resilience of
- African-American art. So I want to say thank you again for being a part of this celebration and for
- standing with us as we move toward the next 50 years. Together.
- We will continue to lift voices, we'll nurture talent, we'll keep this cultural treasure alive
- for generations to come. And if time permits, we look forward to greeting many of you after the concert
- tonight. But for now, without further ado, get ready to experience the spirit and the rhythm and the
- joy of Potpourri 2025. Welcome and enjoy the show. Thank you.
- Good evening, good evening, good evening. Are you there? Let me hear you. Are you there? We want to
- start off talking with you just very briefly about a wonderful year. The year is 1974. I know some of
- you remember 1974, right? Exactly. Mama Kim, what was happening with you in 1974?
- studies in biology and minor in dance. I was the first black female president of the student government.
- Whoo-hoo! So black people was running it. I'm telling you, we had that strength, that courage, and that
- desire to do whatever we wanted to do. And the second greatest thing happened in 75 when my daughter
- was born, my first born. Whoo, and I got six of them, y'all. Whoo-hoo! And I've been with the dance
- company here since 2004.
- We also know that in 1974, we were in the middle or in the midst of the civil rights movement and era.
- We know that in 1974, we were experiencing still some struggle with police brutality, even across the
- pond, as far as places like London. But also in 1974, Dr. Herman C. Hudson had the wise idea
- to create a dance company that is still in existence today over 50 years later. The legendary
- African-American dance company under two directors, Professor Emeriti, Professor Iris Rosa. And currently
- under my direction, I'm Baba Stafford C. Berry Jr.
- And we will continue to rise and continue to be a jewel in the crown that is IU. We will continue to
- focus, continue to dance unyielding. Because you know, once you get started,
- I'm Dr. Raymond Wise again, and this is the African American Choral Ensemble, affectionately known as
- ACE, and welcome back to the Potpourri of the Arts Concert. Tonight, we invite you to celebrate the
- rich tradition of African American choral music, and one theme of this evening's concert is based around
- the letter L. Lift, live, love, and lead. And through these four words, we're gonna share a message
- of hope and encouragement, reminding us all that no matter what we face, we can lift our voices, we
- can live with purpose, we can love
- deeply and we can lead with compassion. So settle in and celebrate with us as we begin our musical journey
- together. This year actually marks the 125th anniversary of Lift Every Voice and Sing, also known as
- the Black National Anthem. Yes.
- This hymn was originally written by James Weldon Johnson and composed by his brother J. Rosamond Johnson
- in 1900 for a celebration of Abraham Lincoln's birthday. And it was first performed by 500 school children
- in Florida. But since then, it's become a song of hope and endurance for African-Americans and people
- all over the world. And it was adopted by the NAACP as its official anthem. And the lyrics speak to
- this. Yes, that's good too.
- It speaks to the struggles and the triumph of people yearning to be free, and to the faith and perseverance
- that continue to guide us. Now traditionally, when this song is done, we stand and we sing the song
- together in reverence and in unity. So tonight, we're going to invite you to stand and join us in singing
- the first verse, and then you may be seated for the second and third verses,
- which are more of a choral arrangement. But the words are gonna be on the screen, and we invite you
- to stand with us. So joining us on piano is Josh Cantanzaro, and we welcome him as we lift every voice
- and sing. Stand and sing with us.
- spiritual and the gospel tradition. Now in the spiritual, enslaved African Americans spoke of freedom
- in life after death, or the life to come. But in gospel music, African Americans declared freedom right
- here and now. They celebrate the abundant life that their God gives them in this very moment. And too
- often in our lives, we put off living. We make a bucket list and dream of some day. But life is short.
- to say here today gone tomorrow, but now we say here today gone today. And this song encourages us to
- live our best life now. So I ask yourself, what are your dreams? What are your gifts? What are you waiting
- for? You don't need anyone's permission to walk in your purpose. So live boldly, live joyfully, start
- living now because tomorrow's not promised. Now this song is a gospel song.
- So we invite you to sing along, rock along, clap along, pat your feet, and celebrate. Now remember,
- friends don't let friends clap on one and three. So you rock on one and three, and you clap on two and
- four. You got it? All right. So please welcome Will Muir as we celebrate. Live your best life. Enjoy.
- I wanna thank y'all for coming out with us tonight. We about to have a good time, we not done yet. Let's go!
- We might ask, whatever happened to love, faith, hope, truth? Where is compassion, empathy, and understanding?
- And it often feels like hearts have just grown a cold. But what if we return to the golden rule,
- which says, do unto others as you would have them do unto you?
- What if we led with grace and kindness and forgiveness, even when it's hard? And every day when I come
- into class, I ask the students, are you gonna make it? And some days they say yes, but there's some
- days when they say, I'm not sure. But it's in those moments that we need a little bit more love and
- we need to encourage faith and hope and we know that we encourage truth that it's gonna carry us through.
- And one way or another, we always end up making it through the challenge
- Because as the saying goes, trouble don't last always. So as you listen to this song, reflect on these
- words and remember that if we live with love, keep the faith, hold on to hope, and stand and speak the
- truth, we can make it through anything. So reflect on this song, love, faith, hope, and truth.
- dates and more peaceful ways and we will make it through. Can you take that with us? Can we sing a little
- bit of that?
- It's been a joy sharing with you tonight. Before we sing our last song, I'd like to acknowledge these
- wonderful musicians over here. To my right and your left, Bobby Davis on keys. Darren Collins on the
- drums. And Josh Contanzaro here on piano. Then I want to thank the Choral Ensemble for their hard work
- and dedication. It takes so much to make this ensemble operate smoothly. So I want to thank our gifted
- associate instructors, Ambriel Ivy, who's our road manager.
- And Langilishe Ngati, who is our vocal coach. And I'd once again like to acknowledge that if there are
- any former ACE members out there in the audience, we want to invite you to come join us for our 50th
- anniversary concert. And we want to get you on stage singing with us one more time. So get a flyer out
- in the lobby, sign up, and participate as a part of that. And finally, I'd like to invite all of you
- who used to sing in high school choir or church choir, who are not singing right now in college, come
- and join us.
- This coming Monday at seven o'clock, we have auditions in the Neil Marshall Black Culture Center. We'd
- love for you to come and join us and be a part of using your gifts and talents to make a difference
- in our community. I hope you've enjoyed being with us tonight, and we hope you have been inspired. Now,
- our final song was composed by one of our own, Bobby Davis Jr. And it carries a timeless message, lead
- with love. Now, every day we face choices.
- how we speak, how we act, how we respond. And this song reminds us that our words and our actions matter.
- And when we lead with love, we invite peace instead of conflict. For you see, love can calm storms.
- Love can heal wounds. Love brings light into darkness. And as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, darkness
- cannot drive out darkness. Only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate. Only love can do that.
- So as you return to your own lives and your communities, remember this message.
- Whatever you do and wherever you go, lead with love. Enjoy. Thank you. Good night.
- soul.
- named Phyllis Hyman. How many of y'all know Phyllis Hyman? All right, regardless of if you do or don't,
- we're going to teach you something about her tonight. Ready?
- Cast by the name of Bill Bibb to vote. Who said that? Who said that? I heard you. We're going to put
- some poison in your system. Hey, y'all ready?
- Tell it a little bit of ooh child, is that cool?