&Beliefs
Traditions
A Publication of the Initiative for the Study of Religion and Spirituality in the History of Africa and the Diaspora (RASHAD) Volume 10, Issue 1, Winter 2016
A Gift of the Spirit! This issue of Traditions & Beliefs – my first post-Cleveland State University issue– is dedicated to Spiritual Gifts, the 501 (C)(3) arts education organization whose members are pictured on the right. It is my great please to serve as the Executive Director for this choir and to share with you the exciting news about their December 2015 educational, cultural, and concert tours of Vienna, Austria and Paris, France. Under the leadership of Maestro Glenn A. Brackens, the choir performed at numerous venues, including Vienna’s City Hall and on the grounds of the Cathedral de Notre Dame in Paris. The activities in Vienna were part of Music Contact International’s 2015 Advent Sing, and they are featured in the choir’s educational DVD, “A Gift of the Spirit.” We look forward to sharing the DVD and other gifts with you in the future. Photos (Below, clockwise from top left): Glenn A. Brackens; Ernestine M. Davis and Irma J. Williams with Santa, and Regennia N. Williams. *All photos in this publication courtesy Regennia N. Williams and Music Contact International.
Finding Your Voice, Speaking and Singing Out Regennia N. Williams, PhD, Executive Director & Editor regennia@gmail.com | rmwbusinessenterprises@gmail.com In 2014, I decided to exchange the life of an academician for that of an independent public scholar and consultant. In 2015, my work with Spiritual Gifts made it possible for me to have the best of both worlds, as I pursued professional development in nonprofit administration and leadership and continued the work that has long been associated with the Initiative for the Study of Religion and Spirituality in the History of Africa and the Diaspora (RASHAD) that I launched in 2007. By fall 2016, when the National Museum of African American History and Culture opens in Washington, D.C., my professional transformation should be complete. As someone with a deep appreciation for the arts and the humanities, I found my professional voice through RASHAD. This publication, RASHAD’s scholarly Journal of Traditions & Beliefs, and Spiritual Gifts continue to support artists and scholars who are speaking out, singing out, and sharing their work with academic and non-academic audiences alike.
Save These Dates for the Jubilees to Jazz Workshop at Cleveland Public Library, 325 Superior Ave., “The People’s University!” Friday, January 22 3:30 – 5:30 pm
Saturday, January 23 10:30 am – 5:30 pm
Registration, introduction, and overview for a workshop focusing on Black sacred music –at home and abroad
Lectures, discussions, films, group activities, and a closing performance
Free Admission! Optional professional development credit for teachers through CSU. (Additional fees apply.) For more information, call (216) 623-2818 or (216) 244-6630.