Current:Home > BackPennsylvania school district’s decision to cut song from student concert raises concerns-InfoLens
Pennsylvania school district’s decision to cut song from student concert raises concerns
View Date:2024-12-23 20:46:28
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! (66519)
Related
- 12 college students charged with hate crimes after assault in Maryland
- Republicans in Nevada are split in dueling contest over 2024 presidential nomination
- 'The Daily Show' returns with jokes and serious talk about war in Israel
- Birthday boy Bryce Harper powers Phillies to NLCS Game 1 win vs. Diamondbacks
- Will Aaron Rodgers retire? Jets QB tells reporters he plans to play in 2025
- Medicare Advantage keeps growing. Tiny, rural hospitals say that's a huge problem
- Four men held in central Georgia jail escaped and a search is underway, sheriff says
- National Pasta Day 2023: The best deals at Olive Garden, Carrabba's, Fazoli's, more
- Singles' Day vs. Black Friday: Which Has the Best Deals for Smart Shoppers?
- Rite Aid has filed for bankruptcy. What it means for the pharmacy chain and its customers
Ranking
- Whoopi Goldberg calling herself 'a working person' garners criticism from 'The View' fans
- U.S. to settle lawsuit with migrant families separated under Trump, offering benefits and limiting separations
- Retail sales rise solid 0.7% in September, reflecting US shoppers’ resilience despite higher prices
- A Thai construction magnate convicted of poaching protected animals gets early release from prison
- TikToker Campbell “Pookie” Puckett Gives Birth, Welcomes First Baby With Jett Puckett
- Russian parliament moves to rescind ratification of global nuclear test ban
- Trump set to return to the civil fraud trial that could threaten his business empire
- Gaza conditions worsen following Israeli onslaught after Hamas attack
Recommendation
-
Louisiana House greenlights Gov. Jeff Landry’s tax cuts
-
'An entrepreneurial dream': Former 1930s Colorado ski resort lists for $7 million
-
Israel suspends military exports to Colombia over its president’s criticism of Gaza seige
-
National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan says U.S. working on safe passage of Americans out of Gaza into Egypt
-
Beyoncé's Grammy nominations in country categories aren't the first to blur genre lines
-
Code Switch: Baltimore teens are fighting for environmental justice — and winning
-
Donald Trump is going back to court. Here’s what he’s missed since his last visit to NYC fraud trial
-
Justice Barrett expresses support for a formal US Supreme Court ethics code in Minnesota speech