Have you ever come across repertoire that your students did not want to sing because of the racial or cultural context? As educators in the arts, we tend to come across a wide range of students. Whether based on race, gender, age, or culture, our field allows us to connect with these individuals differently from those who may teach English, history, or science. One of the greatest joys is that we have the capabilities of finding repertoire, for those in the music realm, that we can use and pull from subjects such as history.

In this article, Baruch Whitehead, a university music professor, describes their experience collaborating with a local high school choral program focusing on works that "preserve the Negro spiritual and build bridges for social justice through the performance of African American sacred music." While this group of primarily white high school students did not feel it was appropriate to sing and tell the story of the African Americans mentioned in this repertoire to be performed, the researcher used this moment to explain how music was used during the Civil Rights Movement to bring all races together.

In this moment of history, we still find race and culture to be frightening topics of discussion. We also find this a troublesome conversation with our young people, no matter their ethnicity or background. This article provides a highlight of how Whitehead allowed not only himself to reflect and find a way through connecting individuals of various backgrounds but provides us with clear steps in moving forward with the discussion of diversity, equity, inclusion, and access that many institutions, educational systems, and organizations are trying to move through.