Black Students and the Impact of Music
This event of having the music group “The Temptations” appear in Starkville and perform may seem like something simple, but these actions contributed majorly to the integration of Mississippi State and Starkville as a whole. Music has always been used to bring people together and was a great tool for integration. Sometimes, the subtle parts of integration that we do not focus on as much are the leading factors in “normalizing” integration. By having a concert with amazing African American singers, MSU was able to bring together everyone who liked their music, no matter what their race was.
This article gives the reader a better understanding of the importance of music to the Black community at Mississippi State. Through all the struggles that Black students faced during integration at Mississippi State, music was always there to help them. Music allows people to express their feelings in a way that is less vulnerable than talking. Music also allowed the black community to come together, share their personal struggles with each other, and relate to each other. The transition from Black students feeling like music was one of the only ways they could communicate, to then being able to perform in concert at MSU is an incredible transition.
This item can put into context the importance of Black Voices at Mississippi State University. They mention how music is the “universal language” which is what made it such an important factor in integration. While music did not necessarily change the legal side of things, music was able to bring people together naturally. By having concerts with the intention of multicultural groups coming and being able to enjoy together, music brought together MSU.
This article can put into perspective the true progress that the Black community had in Starkville and at Mississippi State over just a few years. From feeling like music was one of the only ways that they could express how they felt discriminated against, to having performances in honor of black history week. This also shows how music remained an important factor throughout all this. Music went from a tool for communication, to a tool used to honor black history, and recognize the injustices African American students faced.
The history of African American students at MSU is a long and complex story that currently intertwines with MSU. Mississippi State Library's collection of articles on music shows how it was used as a tool to bring together students on campus. Integration on campus occurred through sports, music, classes, and more. Music has played an important role in the history of Mississippi State as a whole, but specifically, music has nurtured integration in a way that sports and education could not. Music has always been seen as a universal language used to bring together different cultures. At MSU, they were able to use performers of their own and bring musical artists which helped integrate this campus in a natural, free-of-pressure way.
The articles linked and listed above are examples of music at MSU being used for the greater good of campus. By having popular black vocal artists come, they were able to bring together everyone on campus and allow students to be in a stress-free environment while enjoying a night in Starkville. These articles also show the amazing progress that this campus has made. From having the group of students ‘Black Voices’ perform their first-ever concert on campus, to then using music as a way to celebrate Black History Week on campus. These articles also provide some context from Black students about how music has helped them while transitioning on campus. Music was a tool for Black students at this time while also being an escape. It was used to bring together people and as an outlet for the emotions that many students were not comfortable sharing during this time of integration. Music continues to bring people together at MSU in ways that nothing else can. Music allows people to experience emotions and feelings with others without using words, which is an incredible gift.