March 21, 2021
Harmony
A cappella music requires us to listen to one another to create beautiful harmonies. It requires us to actively reach out to one another, harmonizing by listening to and supporting the other voices. We honor and nurture each part in an attempt to realize beautiful music. What we create singing together is far greater than the sum of its parts. Working together empowers us as people and as musicians as we share the magical gift of four-part harmony.
The Barbershop Harmony Society envisions a world of Radical Inclusion where all people can join as equals, where we can share our gifts freely with one another. We desire to create a community of love and acceptance for all singers no matter the color of their skin, sexual orientation, gender, or belief system.
We believe Black lives are important and must be honored.
We are members of the Barbershop Harmony Society, which for decades excluded the very people who created the art form we enjoy solely based on the color of their skin. We recognize and honor the contributions of the Black Americans who created barbershop harmony. We sing their praises both literally and figuratively and pay tribute to the Black founders of Barbershop with every note that we sing.
To address our need to be more inclusive in our society, Barbershop Revival was formed. This initiative, unique to the Carolinas District, creates a working model for inclusion of African Americans and other minorities to the joy of singing and actively demonstrates our commitment to radical inclusion.
We live in a world where the color of your skin, who you love, or what you believe, can make you an object of hatred, bigotry, even violence. We know that right now we must not only reach out, but also be agents of change. We call for an end to systemic discrimination in every form. We offer our support to all people of color, Indigenous populations, people of every faith and sexual orientation who long for a world in which they can exist free of persecution.
Goals of inclusion and non-discrimination transcend politics. They express our recognition of our shared humanity.
The Carolinas District welcomes all who share a love of music, community service, and mutual respect for one another. We pledge that our risers and our rehearsal halls are spaces where absolutely everyone of good character can come and enjoy the experience and emotion that is music. As a District, we will continue to support causes that promote the rights of all human beings and offer our love and our support in any way we can.
- We will raise our voices in support of those whose voices are not being heard.
- We will raise our voices with those for whom justice and equality seem to be elusive dreams.
- We will raise our voices for the love and acceptance that each and every person deserves.