KILLEEN, Texas — The Temple of Faith Church hosted an evening of history, music, reflection and honor. It was a night filled with traditional songs with lyrics that uplift and inspire, paying homage to the culture.
It was a way to honor and respect those who made a prominent impact on black history.
'Love Does,' the program put on by the Temple of Faith music ministry, was a night to continue the conversation about black history, even after the month of February.
"Black history are the things that we went through and the things that we experience, said Eduardo Roberts, a member of Temple of Faith. "It's the things that we don't want to talk about but need to hear about, and it shows how strong we are as people despite the challenges.
The program started off with melodies of the negro national anthem 'Lift Every Voice and Sing' followed by speeches with emphasis on what it means to be black in America.
Robin Britt, a choir member, said "being black means where our ancestors came from and what they went through to get us where we are today."
Daniel Fredericks, a musician at Temple of Faith, hoped the attendees would take away more information than with which they came. To him, it takes more than the month of February to fully grasp and cover all the achievements from pioneers of the black community.
Roberts said being black in America is an overall experience. He reflected on the teachings of noted game changers such as Malcolm X, Sojourner Truth and many more.
"We're accustomed to hearing about Martin Luther King Jr., said Roberts. "We are accustomed to hearing about Malcolm X, but we don't hear about [James] Baldwin, Sojourner Truth, or the ones that fought against Jim Crow laws.
The choir sung 'Oh Freedom', a song that was first performed in the 1960's during the March on Washington D.C., a large protest with the purpose of advocating for the civil and economic equalities of African Americans.
The song is symbolic to encourage unity and uplifting.
"Our history is equally important," said Fredericks.
The coordinators of 'Love Does' hope that what took place in the program would spark the curiosity of others to do their own research on black history.
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