Hub City Mass Choir closes City’s Black History Month Celebration

Mona Lisa Lanier’s Dance Studio and the Hub City Mass Choir rounded out the City of Jackson’s Black History Month Celebration Friday. 

The students from the dance school performed a mixture of traditional and contemporary dances, including a special performance from the boy’s hiphop class. 

The Hub City Mass Choir sang from a collection of songs. The choir is made up of members from different church choirs in Jackson. Leaders, EJ Shelton, Steadman Roebuck, and Antarius Johnson say this was not only to honor Black history, but to also honor the Black gospel music many churches are moving away from.

“What we did today was praise God at City Hall,” Shelton said, “So we stepped outside of the four walls of the church, and we bought what we do the worship experience within our church in our local assemblies. We brought it to the actual City Hall in the middle of Jackson. It was supposed to be outside, but the weather did not permit, and so we did it here within the building. It's the same impact, the same effect. We have the same passion.”

The men agreed the energy in the room, surrounded by more than 100 people, was exciting. And, to have this worship service inside the walls of City Hall, where it was not always legal for Black men to do business, was profound. 

“I can only speak for me and my experience because I've been mixed up with the law, Johnson said, “To be able to stand as a man, a black man, a successful man, and worship God well my my brothers and my sisters of our creed, gender, race. It was a joy. To be honest, I don't do myself worthy but it's an answered prayer.” 

Over the course of four Fridays, hundreds of people celebrated Black History Month at Jackson City Hall, celebrating historical narratives, poetry, dance, children’s art, and song. 

“Music is a universal language,” Shelton said, “I may not be able to speak your language. I may not be from your background. I may not be in the same social class. We may not be in the same financial sector. But if I can sing something to you, if I can say, ‘God is good,’ you will understand that. Everybody will understand that. If I were to say, ‘hallelujah,’ everybody understands that.”

The Hub City Mass Choir regularly holds performances in Jackson. Their work can be found on Facebook. 

Julia Ewoldt, julia@jacksonpost.news