Pure gospel Brown v. Board celebration inspires gospel concert

Topeka Capital-Journal, The, May 22, 2004 by Phil Anderson Capital-Journal

SPIRITUAL CELEBRATION

INFORMATION

A Tone'x listening party will take place at 8 p.m. today at the KBUZ-FM studios, 2800 S.W. Wanamaker. Call 272-6191.

Performers at "The Old-Time Gospel Reunion" include the Rev. McCoy Caraway, St. Luke Missionary Baptist Church; the Rev. Joe Stokes, East Eighth Street Missionary Baptist Church; Dick Bennett, Shiloh Baptist Church; Jonathan Hicks and Deborah Hicks, Antioch Missionary Baptist Church; Pamela Berry, Gethsemane Church of God in Christ; Gale Martin, A.T. "Tommy" Jones, Lynette "Nay" Anderson and Kendra White, El Shaddai Church of God in Christ; Clara Shearon, True Vine Missionary Baptist Church; Brenda Kelly, Inward Faith Outreach Ministries; Beverly Bizer, Church of God; Cathy Woolaway and Ben Wray, Fairlawn Church of the Nazarene; and Emma Lee, Second Baptist Church.

Advance tickets for both concerts are available at El Shaddai Church of God in Christ, 920 S.E. Sherman; Christian Book and Gift, 1930 S.W. Wanamaker; RJ Carr's Family Bookstore, 2121 S.W. Fairlawn Plaza Drive; and the Antioch Book Nook, 1921 S.E. Indiana.

Vendors offering food, clothing, art, crafts, jewelry and gifts will be on hand from 5 to 6:30 p.m. both days. The doors to the sanctuary for the concerts will open at 6:30 p.m.

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Gospel: Local talent to be featured

PHIL ANDERSON/THE CAPITAL-JOURNAL

Ben Wray, on piano, rehearses with Lisa Carper and Jonathan Hicks in preparation for "The Old-Time Gospel Reunion" on Friday night at Fairlawn Church of the Nazarene, 730 S.W. Fairlawn Road. The rehearsal took place at El Shaddai Church of God in Christ.

By Phil Anderson

THE CAPITAL-JOURNAL

On Friday night, some of Topeka's top gospel music talent will join together for a special evening of hand-clapping, toe-tapping favorites in a program inspired in part by the 50th anniversary of the Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court decision which made segregation in public schools illegal.

"The Old-Time Gospel Reunion" will take place at 7 p.m. Friday in the new worship center at Fairlawn Church of the Nazarene, 730 S.W. Fairlawn Road, and will feature musical guests performing in a non- stop concert, similar to the Gaither Homecoming concerts seen on television and on videos.

The concert will kick-off the two-day "Spiritual Celebration" weekend, which will feature recording artist Tone'x at 7 p.m. May 29, also at Fairlawn Nazarene church.

Lisa Carper, a member of El Shaddai Church of God in Christ, is organizing the two-day event.

She said gospel concert came in response to the Brown v. Board of Education 50th anniversary celebration, which took place this past Monday.

Additionally, she said, God laid it on her heart to do something that would showcase local musical talent by individuals representing different races and church denominations.

Carper said she sees the Friday night concert as being "monumental," as it will break new ground in the city's Christian community.

"I continued to hear of all the different events that were going to take place with Brown v. Board, and I just didn't see a community of believers coming together," Carper said. "When I knew there was a possibility of bringing Tone'x to Topeka, it jumped into my spirit that the church needed to come together to commemorate Brown v. Board and what the church meant during the struggle."

The concert is sponsored by the Leonard William Carper Foundation, in honor of Carper's late father-in-law, who died in February. Leonard Carper was known in Topeka for bringing a variety of musical acts to town, including Grand Ole Oprys and jazz performers such as Duke Ellington and Ella Fitzgerald.

Cathy Woolaway, a member of Fairlawn Nazarene who will participate in the concert, said it took someone like Lisa Carper to get the ball rolling on a project like "The Old-Time Gospel Reunion."

"It takes a brave, courageous woman to do this," Woolaway said. "Lisa's the one who did it, but she had to have a vision from the Lord."

Jonathan Hicks, a member of Antioch Missionary Baptist Church who will lend his vocal talent to the effort, said the concert will be good for the Christian music scene.

"Topeka is needing an overhaul of gospel music," Hicks said. "It's time to come together and be innovative in putting out the message that Jesus saves."

A.T. "Tommy" Jones, a keyboardist from El Shaddai Church of God in Christ, said it was "awesome to bring all these individuals together where they can just sing their style" of music.

Jones said his only regret was the concert comes after local gospel stalwarts Leroy Garvin and C.W. Gentry had died. Thus, some segments of the community won't hear the voices and musical talent.

For Ben Wray, a vocalist and keyboardist from Fairlawn Nazarene, the gospel concert is a significant form of bridge-building between predominantly black and white churches, a fitting occasion in context of the 50th anniversary of Brown v. Board.

"I think it's just exciting to be part of things where blacks and whites can come together," Wray said, "where we can respect each other and worship together, because we're all worshiping the same God."