HOWARD UNIVERSITY MUSIC HISTORY: GROSS OMISSION

I like receiving the glossy Howard University magazine. 

The cover reads, "A Century of Leadership in Music Education". 

So, I turned the pages in anticipation of seeing a photo of you know who...

I read, “Several other alumni and students are still making their marks." 

Okay, his name is coming up, right? 

Wrong.

SMH....

I suppose one can't possibly discuss the "pivotal" role of gospel music, on the campus of Howard University, in three small paragraphs, but a certain distinguished alum's name would have only required 16 letters and a space!

 

I know he's not about the accolades, and never has been, but as a reader, a comprehensive list matters....and NO mention of The Celestials?...and another thing...I'm still not understanding why "Where Are They Now" is ANYWHERE near Roberta Flack's name, as if she fell off the Earth.

There's a VERY nice article about that sangin' Kenny Wesley, by the way. 

I know. I'm biased.

To me, Richard Smallwood is a visionary; one of the greatest pianists and composers in the Solar System. One cannot have a conversation about the Music history of Howard University, or American music history, for that matter, and knowingly omit him.

When we have the opportunity to tell our own stories; write our own histories, and pen articles about our own, we cannot afford to allow space or ignorance, however unintentional, to cause us to gloss over VERY important details. 

I imagine that writers will always offend someone, and I won't go so far as to make an accusation of laziness, or attribute the omission to youth (because there are some very thorough young journalists), but a little research will transform a nice article into a great one.