Statement of Affirmation and Intent Relating to Our Use of Negro Spirituals
The Racial Justice Group of Weybridge Congregational Church is committed to a better understanding of the significance of the Negro Spirituals and a tangible response for their use. We affirm the fact that royalties were never paid to the generations of captured Africans who were brought to our country to be bought and enslaved, and who created this music.
Too many of us have sung these spirituals without knowing or considering the rich traditions and purpose of this music. As we look at Negro Spirituals today, we acknowledge the traditions and history embedded in this music, which communicated the pain, sorrow and prayers of the enslaved, as well as codes for freedom seekers. We seek a way in which a mostly white congregation can honor the countless musicians who created this music, that others have profited from.
We cannot pay the unnamed musicians who created the Negro Spirituals. We can, however, acknowledge this fact and pay it forward by supporting the ancestors of the enslaved. In this spirit, we affirm that a debt is owed, and though it can never begin to be repaid, financially support the advancement of Black traditions, musicians, artists, storytellers, agrarians, and educators of today and tomorrow.
We cannot change our country’s history; however, we can no longer ignore the truth that our country was built on slavery. We can change the way we respond to it.
To this end, the Racial Justice Group will begin, promote and foster a program of voluntary giving by the congregation and the distribution of these funds to organizations or individuals supporting Black causes.
5/31/2023
Weybridge Congregational Church 