Celebrating Black History Month at Pleasant Grove Church

McLean neighbor Gail Nields shared this recent celebration.

By Gail Nields

Around sixty people gathered recently  to celebrate the beginning of  Black History Month with Hope, Harmony and Freedom through music and poetry at historic Pleasant Grove Church on Lewinsville Road.

The program presented by the Friends of Pleasant Grove was led by Gail Nields, historian and board member of the Friends of Pleasant Grove, and by Felicia Kessel Crawley, licensed minister of music and founder of Voices of Worship, a non-denominational Christian, volunteer Praise & Worship ensemble of 25 plus singers and musicians. Performing on Saturday from Voices of Worship were vocalists Shelia Bates, Valerie Brown, Cincotta Jones, LaRita Lynch, Andrew Marshall, and Barbara Reid, with Duane Reid on drums and, Rogers Pace, percussion.

Those congregated made the rafters of the historic church, built in 1895, ring with songs like Amazing Grace, Swing Low Sweet Chariot, My Country ‘tis of Thee, and Lift Every Voice and Sing.

Highlights were solos by Valerie Brown, LaRita Lynch, Cincotta Jones, and Felicia Kessel Crawley, who also played the keyboard. John Nields invoked the name of Odetta and led everyone in singing the Freedom Trilogy that she made famous.

Wanda Hill of McLean read two poems, “Frederick Douglass,” by Paul Laurance Dunbar and “Booker T. and W. E. B.” by Randall Dudley. Olivia Laird won a standing ovation for her dramatic and powerful recitation of James Weldon Johnson’s poem, “The Creation.”

At the conclusion of the program the church was filled with hope, harmony, and hugs as everyone shared their joy with new and old friends.