St. James AME Church hosts Black History Month Gospel Extravaganza

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (KBSI) – “This celebration is about remembering and honoring the legacies of those trailblazers that came before us.” 

This is exactly what Debra Mitchell-Braxton and many others did at St. James AME Church this afternoon, coming together through song and dance as part of the church’s Black History Month program. 

Mitchell-Braxton’s parents graduated from a segregated school. She said this program and this month mean a great deal to her. 

“I have a great fondness for all of the individuals that have contributed to the history, to make a difference in our country so that I could do the things that they weren’t allowed to do,” she said.

Both Mitchell-Braxton and long-time music teacher Altha Robinson said spiritual music can teach us a lot about what those people went through. 

“If you listen to the lyrics of those tunes, it helps you to understand your plight is minimal compared to what the people who came before us went through,” Mitchell-Braxton said.

“It’s history. It’s musical history in a way where you can learn a lot about the people, their culture, and everything, just from the words of the songs they were singing,” Robinson said.

Several children were part of the celebration, and Robinson said she really enjoys teaching her students about how spiritual music has evolved. 

“I love the songs, I love the meanings of the songs, and I love the fact that I can tell the students how they have been translated or transformed from what they originally meant into what songs are today,” she said.