President and First Lady present
historic group with prestigious award
NASHVILLE-U.S. Congressman Jim
Cooper (D-TN) today joined dignitaries from around the country at the White
House for a ceremony honoring the Fisk Jubilee Singers, 2008 winners of a
National Medal of the Arts. The Jubilee Singers were among nine recipients of
the prestigious award, presented annually by the President and First Lady,
along with National Humanities Medals.
"This is a tremendous,
well-deserved honor for Fisk University and the Fisk Jubilee Singers," said
Cooper, who has cosponsored numerous bills honoring the Jubilee Singers.
"Nashville should be proud of the historic accomplishments of this fine group,
and I know everyone in Tennessee would have been awe-struck by the beautiful
music they made this afternoon at the White House. The President and First Lady,
and dozens of their guests, were obviously amazed and inspired."
The National Medal of Arts is the
highest award given to artists and arts patrons by the United States
Government. The National Medal of Arts is awarded by the President of the
United States to individuals or groups who, in his judgment, "...are deserving
of special recognition by reason of their outstanding contributions to the
excellence, growth, support and availability of the arts in the United States."
Since 1871, the Fisk Jubilee Singers
have preserved and performed the sacred African-American spiritual around the
world. They have performed for kings and queens and presidents, inspiring
thousands with songs of hope, suffering and praise. In 2007, the Jubilee
Singers traveled to Ghana at the invitation of the U.S. Embassy, joining
Ghanaians in celebrating the nation's 50th independence anniversary.
Video and audio of today's
ceremony, and a transcript of the President's remarks, can be found at http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2008/11/20081117-2.html.
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RECOGNIZING THE
AFRICAN AMERICAN SPIRITUAL
AS A NATIONAL
TREASURE
Remarks in the
House of Representatives - February 07, 2007
Mr. COOPER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman
from California for yielding.
I would like to lend my voice and praise of the
African American spiritual and a group that I consider to be the leading
practitioners of today and for the last 135 years, namely the Fisk Jubilee
Singers.
As the Representative from Nashville, Tennessee, I
have the honor of representing Fisk University, which, under the able
leadership of President Hazel O'Leary, is achieving new heights and excellence.
The Fisk Jubilee Singers have been there since 1871, singing some of the most
beautiful music in the world and a music that is laden with a God-given
message.
No other music that I am familiar with covers the
range from agony to inspiration, from the depths of human misery and despair
all the way up to religious bliss. This is remarkable music, and I would
suggest to you if you haven't heard the Fisk Jubilee Singers sing it under the
able direction of Dr. Paul Kwami, you have not fully lived. This is a truly
remarkable group and a remarkable inspirational message.
So let's praise today the anonymous African
American genius that has allowed these songs to flourish and survive some of
the toughest conditions on our planet, and let's honor groups like the Fisk
Jubilee Singers that keep that tradition alive and fresh for each new
generation. Yes, Mr. Speaker, this is truly a national treasure. We need to
honor and preserve it and spread its wonderful message all around the world.
The African American spiritual is part of God's great heritage.
On February 7, 2007, the U.S. House of
Representatives unanimously passed H. Res. 120, a resolution recognizing the
African American spiritual as a national treasure.
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