by Janet Lovera, ’23

When troubling times come, and the fire to fight against the odds burns bright, we look for ways of expressing the emotions that dwell in our hearts. Cultural movements become the catalyst of creation, the basis from which expression is born, and brings back hope into the lives of those who might have otherwise lost it.

Music is art and it comes from the soul; it allows for the voice of one to become the voice of a hundred. A song’s melody breathes air into the lungs and wraps itself around the heart to keep the spark alive. When I saw the film How Sweet the Sound: Gospel in Los Angeles, I will admit I knew nothing of the genre. Despite this, what I felt while listening to the clips of gospel singers stayed with me long after I began to forget the dates. It was warmth and understanding, the community that was found in the songs inspired by the times. But there was also hope, the emotion driving their voices was the belief in a better tomorrow worth fighting for.

“We sung our way through history,” has never felt so relevant. There is continued tension, times are changing, and I can only hope it’s for the better. Just as the gospel singers of Los Angeles sang to express themselves during troubling times, we must also find the way to free our emotions from within. Yes, we must fight for what we believe in, but it is just as important to understand how these times are affecting us mentally and emotionally. We must find our own way of singing through history because without it, we may begin to lose hope. There is still so much work to be done, milestones to achieve, it is time for us to find our community that will help us succeed.