It’s a muggy June evening at Lexington’s Carnegie Center for Literacy and Learning. Kentucky musician Mitch Barrett strums his acoustic guitar and wears a red shirt with his hair pulled back in a ponytail. He leads a crowd of more than two dozen people in a sing-along with Carla Gover, a musician and community organizer. Gover said this is the first of three workshops called Kentucky Voices Rising: Songs of Social Change.
“The idea is that we bring people together, learn a little bit about some particular aspect of Kentucky’s history, and how music has been part of social change movements, and we’re bringing in artists that represent different communities. So, songwriters, all the artists that write songs that are social justice-themed, and then we’re just going to sing together,” explained Gover.
Barrett and Gover discuss music as a tool for social justice. This evening’s presentation, Singing, Songwriting, and Solidarity, includes traditional and original songs. All three workshops, said Gover, are funded by a grant from the Kentucky Arts Council and are free to attendees.
The singer-songwriter applied for the grant, which she said is offered as part of the year-long celebration commemorating next year’s 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Gover said the funding is being made available to explore the people, places, and events that shaped Kentucky’s history over the last 250 years.
“Communities across Kentucky are going to be celebrating this in different ways. And when I was reading about the details of the grant, I was like, wow, how perfect would it be, and how appropriate to celebrate this, looking at how different communities, especially oppressed and marginalized communities, have used music as a tool for change. Plus, at this moment in our history, with the division that we have and the political chaos on every front, every time we turn on the news. I think there’s something fundamentally healing about coming together to sing," said Gover.
Audience members like Meriah Kruse are inspired by tonight’s singing. The health and wellness coach said she’s been craving a community sing-along.
“ I need to sing with other people right now. The world is so crazy. And there’s so much negativity. And we need to shore up our strength and inner power right now,” said Kruse.
On July 31st, the theme of the workshop is Roots and Resistance, Songs of Justice and Freedom from Kentucky to Nicaragua. Marlon Obando Solano will lead the music with his songwriting method, as well as what inspires him.
“We just want to live our lives in peace. We want to protect kids, protect family. We need to think about we all immigrants,” said Soldano.
The final workshop in the series is scheduled for the end of August. La’Shelle Allen, also known as Sistah LaLa, is the founder of Spirituals in Motion, an outreach program and musical project. She’s looking forward to leading the songwriting workshop and discussing the history of the American Negro Spiritual. Allen says music brings people together in a magical way.
“And so I like to tap into that energy to use both music, activism, and group work to create something beautiful and to create a beautiful moment,” said Allen.
As this evening comes to a close, musician and activist Carla Gover said her aim with these workshops is to support people in feeling some relief, solidarity, and the strength to keep going.
“As we sing these songs together, it just adds to the momentum of people who are trying to build a world that is more inclusive and more just for all of us with liberty and justice and equality for all,” said Gover.
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