Current:Home > MarketsPennsylvania school district’s decision to cut song from student concert raises concerns -Elevate Capital Network
Pennsylvania school district’s decision to cut song from student concert raises concerns
View
Date:2025-04-16 13:46:55
ROARING SPRING, Pa. (AP) — A Pennsylvania school district’s decision to remove a song from a recent student choral concert has divided the community and spurred a review by a civil rights group.
“ Lift Every Voice And Sing,” a late-19th century hymn sometimes referred to as the Black national anthem, was among several songs that were to be performed during the May 7 show by the Spring Cove Middle School chorus. The Altoona Mirror reported that district officials cut the song the day before the concert, saying students had voiced concerns about the song and the “divisiveness and controversy in the nation.”
The district also received several calls from people regarding the song and its inclusion in the concert, officials said. This raised concerns about potential disruptions at the show.
School Board President Troy Wright called the decision a “lose-lose situation” and said parents were threatening to pull their children from the concert over the song.
“We can’t make everyone happy,” Wright told the newspaper. “We have to do the balancing act between who supports it and who doesn’t support it, and our job is trying to find the balance between it.”
The decision to cut the song was made by District Superintendent Betsy Baker and Middle School Principal Amy Miller. Baker said “Lift Every Voice and Sing” was one of many songs selected for the chorus by the music teachers who “picked songs that they felt were appropriate.” Because the chorus practiced other songs, one of those was picked to fill the slot.
“We wanted everyone to feel comfortable,” Baker told the newspaper, saying the decision to cut the song was “clearly a divisive issue here” and stressing that race had nothing to do with the decision.
“There was no right decision, but we focused on letting all of the kids participate in the concert,” Baker said.
Stephen Hershberger, whose son was among the students performing in the chorus concert, was among residents who criticized the decision.
“Cutting the song just sends the message that a few individuals’ discomfort outweighs the perspective and care and concern of minority students and others who don’t have the same beliefs as them,” Hershberger told the newspaper.
The Blair County NAACP has said it executive board will proceed with a formal investigation into the district’s decision, the newspaper reported.
veryGood! (3911)
Related
- A South Texas lawmaker’s 15
- CBS announces exclusive weeklong residency in Las Vegas for Super Bowl LVIII
- Horoscopes Today, January 9, 2024
- SEC chair denies a bitcoin ETF has been approved, says account on X was hacked
- McConnell absent from Senate on Thursday as he recovers from fall in Capitol
- For consumers shopping for an EV, new rules mean fewer models qualify for a tax credit
- Joey Fatone, AJ McLean promise joint tour will show 'magic of *NSYNC, Backstreet Boys'
- 'A sense of relief:' Victims' families get justice as police identify VA. man in 80s slayings
- Meet the volunteers risking their lives to deliver Christmas gifts to children in Haiti
- Barry Keoghan reveals he battled flesh-eating disease: 'I'm not gonna die, right?'
Ranking
- Who's hosting 'Saturday Night Live' tonight? Musical guest, how to watch Dec. 14 episode
- Girl Scout Cookies now on sale for 2024: Here's which types are available, how to buy them
- Franz Beckenbauer, World Cup winner for Germany as both player and coach, dies at 78
- Video appears to show the Israeli army shot 3 Palestinians, killing 1, without provocation
- Could your smelly farts help science?
- Family of Arizona professor killed on campus settles $9 million claim against university
- Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was hospitalized for infection related to surgery for prostate cancer, Pentagon says
- Flying on United or Alaska Airlines after their Boeing 737 Max 9 jets were grounded? Here's what to know.
Recommendation
US wholesale inflation accelerated in November in sign that some price pressures remain elevated
Saving Money in 2024? These 16 Useful Solutions Basically Pay For Themselves
Hydrogen energy back in the vehicle conversation at CES 2024
Astrobotic says its Peregrine lunar lander won't make planned soft landing on the moon due to propellant leak
Chuck Scarborough signs off: Hoda Kotb, Al Roker tribute legendary New York anchor
Special counsel Jack Smith and Judge Tanya Chutkan, key figures in Trump 2020 election case, are latest victims of apparent swatting attempts
US defends its veto of call for Gaza ceasefire while Palestinians and others demand halt to fighting
Japan’s nuclear safety agency orders power plant operator to study the impact of Jan. 1 quake