Last week, EMU hosted Music in Common for a concert in Martin Chapel sponsored by the Music and Peacebuilding major grant. The event, held on Feb. 12, brought the Black Legacy Project to campus for a convocation that blended history, storytelling, and live performance. The evening began with a short documentary film introducing the project’s mission: to revisit songs central to the Black American experience and use music as a tool for dialogue, healing, and bridge-building across racial divides.
After the film, Program Director Trey Carlisle, Executive Director Todd Mack, and Community Engagement Coordinator Bree Soul took the stage.
The live performance opened with a reimagined version of “Strange Fruit,” originally written by Abel Meeropol and popularized by Billie Holiday. The slowed and emotionally layered arrangement connected the historic reality of lynching to present-day racial violence.
The program moved between historic civil rights songs and original compositions created through the Black Legacy Project. Songs such as “Bombs Away” explored how division often replaces dialogue, while “Follow the Drinking Gourd” reflected on coded songs of the Underground Railroad and the long journey toward freedom. A powerful rendition of “41 Shots” addressed racial profiling and the fear of being “killed just for living in your American skin.”
Midway through the evening, Carlisle shared a personal story about being racially profiled in a grocery store and connected it to a young Muslim student’s fear of wearing a backpack to school. “Not all backpacks carry the same weight,” he said, illustrating how prejudice reshapes everyday life. Soul followed with her own story of growing up biracial in a predominantly white family and learning to embrace her identity after years of internalized comparison.
The performance also included “Feeling Good,” made iconic by Nina Simone, shifting the tone toward renewal and resilience. Additional original songs such as “Let Me Walk in Your Shoes” and a spoken-word letter to a future generation encouraged listeners to take responsibility for building a more just world.
Throughout the night, the group invited audience participation. At one point, Carlisle asked the attendees, “What is one thing you can do to change your part of the world?” Students responded with ideas such as singing, teaching, planting trees, and starting conversations.
The evening closed with “We Shall Overcome,” closely associated with Pete Seeger and the Civil Rights Movement. Audience members stood and sang together, filling the chapel with a shared affirmation of hope and unity. The final message echoed the words of Martin Luther King Jr., that fear and division can only be overcome through communication, courage, and love.
The Black Legacy Project did not simply put on a concert, but extended an invitation for the EMU community to reflect, engage, and continue the work of peacebuilding beyond the chapel walls.
During an interview with Carlisle, Mack, and Soul, Carlisle shared that the event, for him, represents continuing to carry the torch, explaining that they use music to facilitate conversations between Black and white individuals across communities and countries.
Clay Showalter, who has served as EMU’s sound engineer since 2018, said it is one of the best parts of his job to have the opportunity to hear such wonderful music.
Erin Yoder, an EMU student and Music and Peacebuilding major, said she was motivated to attend because her major gave her and other students in the program the opportunity to meet and engage with the Music in Common group. She described the experience as fantastic and aligned with her expectations.
Sergio Torrez, also a student who attended the concert, shared that his favorite moment was when Soul sang in a voice that moved from low to high, expressing both strength and vulnerability while powerfully illustrating the racial injustices that Black people continue to face today, not only in the past.
