[SPEAKER_07]: Is he doing better though? Oh yeah, he's doing great. Hi, how are you? Good to see you. Yes. Hello, how are you? Hi, so I'm here. I'm here to see Kathleen. Hi. How are you?
[Unidentified]: Good to see you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. It's not cold. It's not. It's all in my head. Yeah, right, right, right. Tomorrow it'll be cold. It's worse than cold. That's right. No one wants to sit up in the front row with me? Well, you're not supposed to teach it.
[Carter]: Why not? It'll spread out. You're still doing your thing.
[Unidentified]: Let's do it. It's like a leftover Halloween pumpkin, but I'm warm. Thank you.
[SPEAKER_07]: Oh, my gosh. I know she does. Yeah. Yeah. She's fine. Yeah. Yeah. You want to find it?
[Unidentified]: I know. I know. Give me one minute. Am I in the right seat?
[Carter]: You're in the right seat. Okay. You good? I am good. All right, I'm gonna get some water.
[Unidentified]: We'll get started. All right. Yeah.
[Crossman]: . We'll pick them up okay you all right with that. I'm gonna try. Just you know just bring up close.
[Carter]: Check, check.
[Crossman]: He's feeling her. OK.
[Carter]: It's like the shower. We good, son? Yeah. OK. Good evening, friends and neighbors. My name is Terry E. Carter, and I direct elder services at our beloved West Medford Community Center. Welcome to another live monthly presentation of First Friday's Words and Music, our first in 2023. It's February, Black History Month, and despite the freezing cold outside, we're warm and toasty in the building. Thanks to a generous grant from the Medford Arts Council, a member of the Massachusetts Cultural Council, we are doing our thing again at 111 Arlington Street. We are, of course, still trying to be mindful of local health requirements and concerns. So masking is optional, perhaps recommended, but certainly not required. We've emerged unscathed from a jubilant and very successful MLK celebration on January 16. And on the whole, we feel good about sponsoring live programming here at the WMCC. It's happening all over the city of Medford. As well, we ask you to please be courteous to your neighbors as we move through the evening. We are appreciating the media work put in by team member Kyle Douglas. uh... and thanks also to Kevin Harrington and Medford Community Media for guiding us as we broadcast via Medford Community Media channels 3 for Comcast and 47 for Verizon. If you're out there watching on your electronic devices or your television, welcome to the show. You can also access the show online on the MCM YouTube channel. The real power of New England weather is definitely upon us tonight. That means we have to be prepared for unforeseen challenges in the local landscape. You were no doubt expecting to see new NAACP President Jillian Harvey sitting in with me tonight for a local conversation. Unfortunately, Jillian has taken ill and is regretfully unavailable this Friday. We have rescheduled her visit to March, and I assure you that she is anxious to come and visit with us all. So plan B is in full effect, and it's a strong and welcome alternative. All right, so please don't accuse us of a bait and switch. I used to work at Lechmere back in the day, selling home electronics, and got accused of that fairly often. But I digress. And this conversation is actually one that my guest and I planned to have toward the end of 2022, but life got in the way. So it's a great time to be appearing on this platform tonight with my friend and WMCC colleague, the executive director of this West Medford Community Center, Lisa M. Crossman. So let me tell you a little bit about her. Lisa is a dynamic advocate for community. She has spent most of her adult working life connecting children, young adults, and older folks to resources, resiliency, and respect. It's her passion, and she's really good at it. Starting as an energetic new WMCC board member in December of 2021, she was quickly recruited into the emergency role of interim executive director and hit the ground running. installing new administrative systems, upgrading communications, and expanding the network of friends and supporters of this venerable neighborhood home. Lisa quickly enhances stability, presence, and reputation of our organization. in Medford and beyond. This professionalism and can-do attitude led the WMCC board to conclude that she was the right person for the job, and the interim tag was removed toward the end of 2022. As a coach, consultant, and nonprofit manager, Lisa has provided exceptional leadership for organizations like the Greater Boston YWCA, the Shriver Job Corps, the Malden Y, the Clark Memorial Y of Winchendon, Mass., and the Fitchburg Public Schools. She has brought a wealth of tenacity, intelligence, common sense, and no nonsense to her work here in West Medford. The mayor's office, longstanding Medford institutions, businesses, philanthropies, and political entities have taken notice and signed onto the program here at 111. Now my bishop at church is fond of saying that it's a sorry frog that doesn't praise his own pond. So it's my distinct honor to welcome Lisa Crossman to the table of First Fridays at the WMCC.
[Crossman]: Thank you, Terry, thank you.
[Carter]: So Lisa, thanks so much for being the first player off the bench and picking up the rock. It's game time.
[Crossman]: All right, let's go.
[Carter]: All right. So we are still in the early hours of Black History Month for 2023. I want to get us into a historic frame of mind. I write a lot of poetry that speaks to legacy, mission, and vision. As is my custom in hosting these evenings, I want to share a piece of verse. This is called, I Came for the Stories. I came for the stories of how you built this place, from the entrails, from the dregs, from the unwashed and the unwanted, the only piece of the city they'd let you have. But you built it with pine and pegs and poles and persistence, with the beauty of duty and the substance of faith. I came for the stories of the heroes and the unheralded, of the legacy makers and the territory takers and the boundary shakers and the barrier breakers. The first ones to do the big thing, the bold thing, the forbidden, the unfamiliar, the courageous thing. I came for the stories, the ones you save for your children and their children and their children. Anansi's stories, Shaka Zulu's stories, Sheba's stories, Hannibal's stories, Toussaint's stories, Sojourner's stories, Malcolm, Marcus, Martin, and Medgar's stories. Epic and tragic truth of how we came over and what we've overcome. I came for the stories, all of them, lost, stolen, or strayed, because history can't be real for me, can't reveal to me, can't appeal to me without showing the black and the brown and the tan. Whitewashing so clearly all critical race theory just tells me we are nearly erasing a past we will pay for dearly. I came for the stories only poets can tell, magical tales that cast a spell, living water from the griot's well, distant drumming and a faraway bell, the sea's reply in a queen conch shell. The salted air as the billows swell. An archangel triumphs as the demons fell. Giants flee from where Davids dwell, lest they drown in a deepening still. Legion is vanquished and sent back to hell. The riot ends with a mournful yell. The ode is recorded from Distik to Del. I came for the stories and I will not leave as I am beseeching my beyond my own reaching for all you are teaching the sermons you're preaching where black knows no bleaching of the borders we're breaching as hatred is leeching and rage is screeching for loves impeaching. I came for the stories. I came for the stories. I came for the stories. So that's the lay of the land. Let's have a friendly chat with Lisa Crossman. So Lisa, can you talk a bit about your history with this West Medford neighborhood?
[Crossman]: OK. First of all, I'm going to say it's really different to be on this side of the table. But OK, so I have a good friend, my best friend, who is from West Medford and lived on Harvard Street. And gosh, you could throw a rock right at her house. And so she brought me out here. We went to college together. And she brought me out here for the basketball tournaments. And that's where I was like, what is going on here? It was just amazing to come here, to see all the people, everyone's so welcoming, having a good time. And we were out late, and there was not one problem, not one problem. And oftentimes, we would just sit at the house, walk the neighborhood, and she's like, we got to see who's out, we got to say hello to everybody. They would be out on the porch. So, gosh, that was probably 20 years ago that I first came to know West Medford, and, you know, her family's like my family, and they have introduced me to other people, and that was my first connection, never knowing that I would ever... from Central Mass. So, to think that I would ever be out in Boston, like, when you're in Central Mass, it's just a long shot, right? That you're gonna come out to Boston and find success and working and all of that. So, you know, 20 years later, here I am. the executive director of the community center. It's just, you know, full circle. Yeah.
[Carter]: Yeah. Yeah. OK, fantastic. So what made you first decide to get involved with the community center?
[Crossman]: Stephen Douglas. Honestly, Stephen Douglas has if you're not familiar with Stephen, his family has had a long history with the center and giving to the center in some way, shape or form. And he was sitting on the board at the time and had spoken to me kind of about you know, there was some disruption and there was going to be changeover. And this was during the pandemic. So I happened to not be working at the time. And he said, you know, would you be interested? And I said, absolutely.
[Carter]: Yeah, fantastic. So you started out on the board.
[Crossman]: I started out on the board. Yes.
[Carter]: And then very quickly transitioned into the interim directorship.
[Crossman]: Right. We we had a change over that happened quite unexpectedly. And so, you know, it was a Friday when the last director left and a Monday when I was in place here, just like, you know, I'm going to step in. I have the experience and we'll keep the doors open and we'll keep things running until we can figure out next steps.
[Carter]: OK, OK. All right. So. Early on, you're here, you're sitting in the director's chair. What might have given you pause or made you say, what the heck have I gotten myself into, particularly in the early months of your management?
[Crossman]: Oh boy. I can't say that it was that, it was kind of like, I don't know, walking into one, what was a mystery, and two, kind of like it was, we were coming out of the pandemic and programming hadn't really been going on. So it was like, you know, nobody's calling, no emails are coming through, no one's walking through the door. We're under a lot of stuff. We had a lot of stuff here in different places. And I could see kind of the mountains of things that had to be done that maybe got neglected for a while. And so it was like, oh yeah, When you get in the attic, and you open some closets, and you open the shed, and you're like, oh my gosh. That's when I know. I was like, oh, OK. This is going to be some work.
[Carter]: This is going to be some work. Good, good. OK. All right. So you're directing the WMCC. And you can luxuriate over this, if you like. What so far have you been taught about West Medford in the greater city of Medford?
[Crossman]: I have been taught that a city can be very much like a town in that You know, people can live very different lives, come from very different backgrounds, but yet they all share a common thread. And I think that's one of the unique things about Medford is I have had the luxury to go to different spaces, in different groups and meetings and things like that, and talking to people, everyone's story is kind of the same. You know, they grew up here, and maybe they're still in that family home, or they live near there, or they're dating someone they went to high school with, and they used to throw rocks over the fence at somebody, or whatever the mischief that they would get into is the same in both West Medford and Medford. There's so many similar stories. They love their families. They love their town, their city, all the same. And, you know, we just have that kind of divide or wall that's still there that we're looking to kind of peek over and see, hey, like we are a lot alike. We are a lot of the same. And like, how can we get together on this? I'm sorry. I see my son in the corner. He thinks this is the Grant show tonight.
[Unidentified]: So I told him.
[Carter]: All right. Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water. OK. This is actually a first for us. We usually don't have any grant sightings. He usually goes on lockdown in the office, and he's got his computer and his games, and everything is all set. But tonight, he's curious. And curiosity is a good thing for a seven-year-old? Yes. A seven-year-old. Yeah, so good. And if I embarrass him enough, he'll end up back in the office with his laptop. So it's all good. It's all good. Quick game, and we may play more than one, but I want to do a quick game of word association. So I'll give you a word, and if you can shoot back at me what it suggests to you, and you can amplify it a little bit. So first word, resiliency.
[Crossman]: tenacity. I think we all are resilient. Some of us have to be more resilient than others just based on our circumstances and how we came into the world. But that's part of humanity. Every day we get up and we say, why are we doing this? Why are we going to work every day? What are we doing? You know, we push through through the sickness, through the sadness, through the loss. We all are resilient in, you know, all of us slap on a smile and keep going and and keep pushing and just hoping to get through the day. But. Yeah, tenacity would be the word.
[Carter]: I love that. I love that. I love especially that you mentioned, you know, we suffer losses. I often say, and you know, folks here have heard me say it, one of the most difficult things of working, particularly in elder services, is you know, that sense that you have, you know, sometimes a foreboding that you're going to lose, you know, somebody you come in and somebody that was there two days before is no longer with us. So I think it's incumbent upon us in the roles that we both have to be resiliency for folks that aren't necessarily feeling it themselves at any given time. So I think that's what we both try to do here is keep the smile on our face and keep the jokes and keep it coming. You're doing a good job of that. Okay, so word number two is equity.
[Crossman]: I like to think of equity as, this is not a word, sorry. Equity is like opening the door, it's a secret handshake, right? It's that pathway when you thought the door was closed, it's the key. We have had so many opportunities here based on people sharing their equity. And I can't thank Melinda enough because she, Melinda Regan, our treasurer, who really gave us an opportunity that that line she opened for us has opened so many doors and opportunities and got us to meet people and understand how the inner workings of a lot of things. And I think that's just one of the smallest things that we can do. And as an executive director, or even a community person, I feel like that's my role. I am privileged to a lot of knowledge, and so being able to teach someone and help them understand the channels, you know, that is equity where to share our knowledge.
[Carter]: Fantastic. I like it. I like it. And I know this is subject to change in a shifting landscape, but what's your current vision for the West Medford Community Center?
[Crossman]: Oh boy. My current vision is And goal, I would say, is financial freedom for the center. I feel like the center deserves financial freedom. We've been around since 1935, and we do have some heavy bills. But once we are financially free, then we're removed from that grant space. And what's tough about the grant space is that, you know, we are subject to the grant to maker, which is oftentimes the federal government and others, but, you know, they deem the language, they deem how we are to count our community, right? And I don't believe that's a way that we should approach business and community or nonprofit is to say, hey, you gotta count my numbers, you know, what's the race, what's the gender, what's the age? So it would be nice to just do the work because we're doing the work. So that is the vision. The vision is to inject a teen space here and grow, connect our seniors to that and work on, you know, some garden space and connect community through that. So that is the vision and going into the resiliency hub work, whether or not, you know, the city is funding a grant that pilot grant and whether or not we are able to get funded again. We plan to continue that work. We live in a floodplain over here, so we want to make sure our residents are prepared. We feel like that's important work as well. So that's the vision. More keeps adding to the play.
[Carter]: I mean, it's keep it coming. Keep it coming. So folks should know that you're a basketball lifer.
[Sumner]: That's true.
[Carter]: OK? That's very true. Playing and coaching, what has the game of basketball given you that you take into directing WMC activities and relationships?
[Crossman]: Oh, wow. So I have been a coach, a ref, a player, and coached at the high school level. gives me confidence to work, because it's a male-dominated space, number one. And so it's given me the confidence to network, to lead, to know when to follow, to know when to pay attention, change plan, when I need to recruit more players, to get into the game, how to boost up the energy, and to map out long-term. We just don't show up to a game and play. We have a strategic plan of how we're going to win the game. And if you're a good coach, you have plan A through Z, because you just never know what's going to happen in the game. And how to manage time. Time is such an important factor in basketball. And the last 30 seconds of a game, a lot can be changed in those moments. And so, yeah, it has done a lot for my life. I know it's done a lot for many others, Brianna included. Teamwork, learning to get along, right? Finding no weaknesses, making sure you're building people up, all of that.
[Carter]: Okay, okay. So back to Word Association. Support.
[Crossman]: A community. Community would be the word for me. I feel like I find a lot of support in community, especially being here. And I feel like I try to find spaces where we can be supportive. Yeah, there's days when it's just like, I don't have it. I just don't have it. And then, you know, a senior will walk through the door and make some type of joke or make me laugh. And I'm like, all right. Let's get into it or I'll get a call from someone from the city like Francis. And she's got this idea. And we're like, all right, let's go. We like just change the whole forecast. And it's just that's that's how I frame it.
[Carter]: Good, good, good stuff. Communications.
[Crossman]: I would say charge it to my head and not my heart. One thing I'm getting buried in is emails, absolutely, positively. So I prefer to pick up the phone and talk to people personally, show up to somebody's office. So I prefer in-person communication. I think it's so important, and we've lost that over the years. 20 years ago, we would be making an appointment to see somebody. You'd pop in and say hello. And I've kind of missed those times. I don't know if we can bring those back. But I think communication is important. I think we lack something in Zoom. You can't really tell someone's character or their energy through Zoom. And I think being in person and communicating is really important. That's how we understand one another.
[Carter]: I was just wondering if that was the Caribbean calling me. Because I sure enough need to be there right now. OK. So maybe I'm asking this a little bit too early, but I'm going to ask it anyways. So what has been your favorite moment or few moments of being part of this family thus far?
[Crossman]: Oh, man. Summer basketball is definitely at the top of my list. Basketball is in my heart. We have 40 girls in our league, which is kind of unheard of for basketball to have 40 girls get along and playing basketball together. So that has been something. The senior group has been amazing. That is another great moment for us, for me personally, and getting to know everybody, knowing the people on the walls and the stories. You know, Buddy Clayton used to say to me, I used to say, good to see you, and he's like, good to be seen, right? So things like that that just stick with me. And definitely the events, MLK Day was a big one. just to pull it off. So those have been some highlights, but there's not one down moment that I can speak of that I can sit here for the whole time and tell you, rip off a bunch of times that I've enjoyed.
[Carter]: Good, good, good. So what new initiatives are you excited about for this coming, well, this program year that we're in right now?
[Crossman]: So the Circles, the Resiliency Hub is the overarching. The Resiliency Hub work we'll be doing with the city and the partners in that group. I'm looking forward to that and us coming together, finding a way to all work together and kind of close all the gaps. And within that, we'll be doing some anti-poverty work with a program called Circles USA. Will be the first chapter in Massachusetts, which is pretty exciting. Some teamwork, to be honest. Teamwork is kind of in my wheelhouse. Near and dear. It is very near and dear. And so, you know, looking to add more programming, maybe transform the space and open the space to our teens who are looking for, you know, some caring adults, some value to programming.
[Carter]: Okay, very good. Okay, so here's another word. Activism.
[Crossman]: Oh boy. Courage, I would say courage, right? It takes a lot to say, this is what I believe. This is what I see is right, and this is what I see is not right. Justice, injustice, and to stand on that. I think that's a tough space to be in. You really got to know who you are and what you believe and know what your past is. to do that. And I think that, you know, a lot of people go, they don't go in it. Most people don't go in it for the accolades, right? The people who are in that for that space get that. But there are so many others who are out there battling and just the voice in the wilderness, you know, up against the mountain, the pebble against the mountain. But they do it anyways, and then admire that training quality. So
[Carter]: space, in this physical space, and not feel that all the time. Because there's so much around us that speaks to activism, that speaks to folks that saw a need for something, that speaks to Rudy Smith looking at the police department and saying, there needs to be black representation. And toughing it out when his supervisor said to him, I don't even know what to do with you. before he put him out on the street, and he gained a following and became one of the decorated officers in the police department. It's Buddy Clayton. Booker and Evelyn Tyner opening that beauty shop and getting the sisters' heads together so they could go home and be beautiful for they hubbins. Even in a more contemporary way, it's a Henry Malorin being a champion for the city. It's a Wally Counts being a champion for the city. It's a Doc Counts. just really chronicling what happened here, who we were, who we became, what we are capable of. There's so much that really speaks to being active and engaged, so I love your description of that. So as you're thinking about collaborations and youth development, you mentioned, and resiliency, community building, and what comes next, how will what you've learned thus far in your early tenure kind of inform those decisions, those deliberations?
[Crossman]: On partnership?
[Carter]: Yeah, on, you know, on, yeah, collaborating and some of the program initiatives and some of the things that you really, really want to do.
[Crossman]: I think listening, the listening side of things, it's been really important. In my younger days, I would come in and be like, I see that this needs to change. I'm going to change it. I'm going to change that. I'm going to change that. did my due diligence to sit back and listen. And if I saw a crash coming, I let it crash. And we just saw our way through it and talked our way through it so that we're on board next time through. So that would be a part of it. I have a better understanding of the landscape. And challenging some of the collaborators and partners to kind of look through my lens and just see what I see, and let's have a conversation based around that. I'm happy to say that maybe I was wrong, but I think sometimes when we're bogged down in the work and we're doing the work, we're so close to it, we don't often see how we're impacting. others or what others might be feeling. And so, you know, challenging people to kind of look through a different lens this time around and seeing where we can thread the needle. Honestly, there's a lot of people. The time moves so fast. Yeah, it's been a year. Time moves so fast and we haven't even scratched the surface on collaboration and partnership.
[Carter]: Absolutely, absolutely. There's so much out there. I think you've seen just in the time that you've been doing the job, how many people have been kind of on the outside looking in waiting for an invitation or waiting for some type of initiative that can kind of bring them to the table. And we've been really fortunate in that regard because a lot of the folks who are waiting, we've been able to kind of invite in and start to get that collaborative thing working well.
[Crossman]: Right, right, and, you know, to their credit, people have been kind of just waiting, kind of seeing what's going on, as they should, as they should, and, you know, feel comfortable enough to say, like, okay, let's give this a shot. So we value those opportunities and giving us second and third chances, you know, to get it right.
[Carter]: Yeah, second and third chances. Okay, so it's a little bit more personal. You can take it wherever you would need to take it. But what would people who are just meeting you be surprised to learn about you?
[Crossman]: Oh boy. Oh gosh, this is going to get personal. telling this story today, you would be surprised to know that I gave birth to Grant at home. At home, it was planned for the hospital, but man, he shot right out at home.
[Carter]: Well, I figured at some point in time, either me or you was going to say something that was going to chase the boy into the hills. He knew his cue. But no, no, but finish, that's fascinating.
[Crossman]: Yeah, I just, the labor pains weren't what I, you know, had expected. You know, you hear a lot as a woman and not knowing, right? And I guess I have a high tolerance for pain because, you know, my friend left to go bring her daughter somewhere and as soon as she shut the door she was gonna bring me to the hospital didn't he just start coming out and the door was locked so the ambulance couldn't get in and they were trying to break down the door and I called 9-1-1 and I was like I don't know what to do It's so funny, but nature handled itself. He shot right out and caught him in my hands. And so his birth certificate says the home address, which is a pretty cool thing that we have. And I get to drive by the house and say, hey, this is where you were born. Wow.
[Carter]: Wow. Wow. I have four brothers and sisters. That didn't happen to none of us. We were hospital babies. That's fantastic. That's fantastic. So I want to flip the script, because obviously you and I, we work real closely together. And I've spent a pretty significant amount of time kind of interviewing you. I want to give you Turnabout is Fair Play. So what question or questions would you perhaps want to pose to me?
[Crossman]: Um, I would ask... Oh, see, I'm not prepared. This is one I wish I had preparation for. This is a laundry list, of course.
[Carter]: Yeah, I know. This is how I get spontaneity, you know? I don't tell you anything.
[Crossman]: I would say, what do you envision for West Medford as part of this arts and culture kind of boom that's happening in Medford?
[Carter]: Yeah, yeah. I think there's a couple things. I certainly... And I'm grateful to the mayor and the leadership of the city for putting me in this position, but more things like, I can't necessarily say what's an analog, but more things like the poet laureateship. You know, more things that suggest to people in a very deliberate and pointed way, art is important here. You know, culture is important here. And diversity within those two spaces, the art space and the culture space, is exceptionally important. And we're going to find ways to promote it. Now, I competed And I know several of the folks that I competed against to land the poet laureateship. So I can say, proof positive, beyond a shadow of a doubt, no favoritism, certainly no nepotism. I wasn't related to anybody. So it was really, really what I deemed a fair and equitable competition, and any one of those people would have been worthy of doing it and might well do it in the future. So it's that thing. It's making sure that everybody knows that within this art and culture space, Folks are going to be considered on the merits of their abilities, and as Dr. King said, not the color of their skin, but the content of their character, whether it's their artistic character, their cultural knowledge, their inspiredness, so to speak. Folks are going to be considered because of what they bring to the table, and not because they're the same color as the tablecloth. So yeah, I think that's it. I want for art and culture in this city to be meaningful to everybody. Everybody goes to the museum, the historical society. Everybody goes to the library. Everybody goes to the new art center that's gonna open on Mystic Avenue. Everybody feels welcome in all of those spaces because that's important. And I think one of the things, and you and I have talked about this a lot, is how important it is for us to be kind of a repository of art and culture and that welcomeness. This is the space that was charted by the African American community. make no mistake about it. When you come in here, you're going to see that history. You can have a party in here, you're not covering up the pictures, you're not, you know, none of that's going to happen. You need to understand that this is a very important and integral element of what this community will continue to be despite whatever changes happen. And change, like death and taxes, is a constant. It's gonna happen. But are we able to navigate that change being nice to people, being fair to people, being open to people, and non-exclusionary? And I think the West Medford community has been very, very patient and tolerant of change. Now, that's not to suggest that we don't sit around and talk about it and lament and beef a bit. We certainly do. But we do it in a way that doesn't suggest to people that if they come, they're going to get booted out. They're going to get kicked out.
[Crossman]: Absolutely right. Yeah, this center, that's one of the great things about the center, and we are kind of one of the best kept secrets. But unfortunately, people make up their minds about the center before they've even come here. And I hear a lot of opinions about people who've never come here. So that's the thing, you know, this year we're really about opening the doors, welcoming people, come see for yourself, come meet people and judge for yourself. And just because you walk in this space and see black and brown people on the walls, it doesn't it doesn't make you any less. It doesn't make anyone any less. And, you know, if you walk in and you feel something and you feel something inside, you know, then that's something, you know, we got to get to the core. We got to talk about. We got to we got to work on that. So you feel comfortable here because, you know, this has always been and will always be a welcoming space.
[Carter]: Yeah. Yeah. I I always feel like. It's incumbent upon our community, this changing but still vital aspect of Medford, it's incumbent upon us to be provocative. We don't get to sit and not say anything. we have to speak our minds because if we don't, nobody else will. Nobody else speaks, traditionally no one else has spoken for the West Medford community, it's had to speak for itself. And we still have to, especially as all the changes occur around us, in order for people to know who we are and what we value, we have to speak for ourselves. And I think that's, The cut of your jib, so to speak, that's part of it. Issuing that challenge to people, you gotta speak on it. You gotta say something about it. If you think it's good, bad, or indifferent, you gotta say something about it.
[Crossman]: That's very true. That is very true. One of the unique things about this center, it's a community center, right? It's a nonprofit. It is not run by the city. This is not a city program. And it is for the community to take care of ourselves. Regardless of who's saying that, that is what kind of is that mission of the community center. you know, if you are in the Medford community, it is kind of up to you to help take care of that. And it just speaks to, you know, this higher notion of, you know, kind of letting it all go, letting the work go and letting the stress go and all those things go and and taking care of one another and making sure everyone is all right and checking in and and, you know, looking not to make see what's in someone else's bowl, but to make sure they have enough. You know, we really need to get back to that kind of space and, you know, I'm not challenging anybody. I'm just saying, I don't live here. I live in Malden, you know what I mean? I don't have a vote here, I don't have anything here. My son and I, we give a lot of time here, and it's not our community, but we very much take it in as our own, and we would hope that others in Medford did the same, right? Time, money, energy, effort, whatever you have to give, give a little.
[Carter]: Yeah, and I'm going to challenge you in one way, and that is that when you say it's not your community, I would counter that. Because I think if you ask anyone of my seniors, they used to be my seniors, You know, not in your seniors, you know. You own, I rent, you know. But they will say she's one of us, you know, she's part of us. And I think the comfort that they all feel with having you at the helm of the community center is really something that's pretty unparalleled to me. You know, we've got to go back a long ways to be at a place where we could point to someone who's led the center and say, they get it. They really get it. Not to suggest that we haven't had folks. We've had great folks working in the community center. But I think the consensus of the people that I talk to, my program folks, is that, well, she gets it. So I don't feel bad when they bypass me on a fairly regular basis and go straight to your office, right? Isn't that kind of a senior thing? Shouldn't they be talking to me? But it just goes to show that a level of comfort has been achieved, which with several of your predecessors, I'm not going to name names, but folks know who I'm talking about. wasn't going to happen. That level of comfort was never going to be achieved. And again, we've had some great leadership, so I'm not trying to throw anybody under the bus. But if they miss the bus and the wheels roll over them.
[Crossman]: Yeah, they've been very gracious. And my son goes to St. Ray's. So every day I'm walking to go pick him up. You know, we spend money here. We go to buy food and all that to the Walgreens, ride the train into Boston, all of that. So we're very much a part of the community.
[Carter]: Absolutely. Yeah, I mean, I, you know, it's no secret, I live out in Randolph. I'm here several days a week to do the job, but I got people on Monument Street, my aunt's on Mystic River Road, right? And running the part of the city that the mayor don't run. And so... I've never felt that I didn't have a place in Medford. And I'm assuming that Medford didn't really feel that way either, or else, certainly, in terms of being a poet laureate, that never would have happened. They would have said, well, you don't even live in Medford. But clearly, they thought that I was adding enough value to where they could say, OK, cool.
[Crossman]: I have to say I've been in Malden for seven years and I don't feel connected. I even worked at the Malden Y. I don't feel connected there, but I absolutely 100 percent feel connected here. So, yeah, and that goes to speak on, you know, your community of Medford, you know, that I feel at home. My son feels at home. You know him. Everybody's kind to him. He says hello to people on the street. So, yeah, it speaks volumes.
[Carter]: Yeah. Very good. Very good. Well, it's been an illuminating time. And obviously, we could do this for hours and hours. And on some days, when it's quiet in here, you and I get into it. And we talk a lot about all of this stuff. But I want to give you the last word. We're going to switch up things in a little minute. But what are your parting thoughts? What do you want folks to know?
[Crossman]: Um, I would want folks to know what I would kind of say is, like, kind of, you know, wake up, Medford. Wake up and get involved in your city. You have lots of opportunities. There's employment opportunities. There's commission opportunities. And you need to be involved. You can go online. You can watch the Zooms. You have an opportunity to watch and evaluate for yourself in a way you've never been able to before, kind of like, I would almost say, like a job interview, right? evaluate the people that are in these roles. You are giving up a lot to people that you don't know what's going on, the conversations that are had in their informing policy that is going to affect you and your neighbors and your children down the line. And it's important that you give some time. And if the times don't work, speak up and say something. The channels are there for you. I have to give a lot of credit to Brianna. She's sat down, she's listened, and she's opening the lines of communication. She's putting those checks and balances in place. And she answers all of her emails. So, you know, there are no excuses that you need to wake up and get involved. There are many positions open on commissions. There's lots of charter work that needs to be done. And we're not just talking about events and the showy stuff. We're talking about real policy work. So I would say wake up Medford and get involved. And if you don't know, then ask somebody, call City Hall and find out. But we need to fill these positions with not two or three people or the same people that have had the same opinions over the years. It's time to inject some checks and balances. It's time to challenge some of the thoughts that are there and get the rest of the community involved.
[Carter]: Excellent. Excellent.
[Unidentified]: Excellent.
[Carter]: So I want to thank you for bringing your, and I use this word without any reservation, dynamic leadership, your energy and your tenacious engagement to the community and to the city. And thanks for being willing to come off the bench this evening to share your insights. And to everyone watching, thanks so much for your attentiveness and your interest in our discussion. Get ready for something very special on the musical side of the coin. Right after we take a break, we're going to reset our stage. I'm going to share some announcements, and then we'll get into the lyrical miracle. Okay? All right. Thank you very much. Okay, yes, feel free to talk amongst yourselves. There's some snacks in the back if you're interested. Restrooms on the left-hand side. just leave it over here. And the other one is gonna be for Katani. Okay, so we just need to get rid of the table, put her in front and center. Okay, so we're going to get right back into it. So if I can get everybody to take their seats. Okay, so. The seniors know, but for those of you out there that are watching and seeing us for the first time or getting involved, thinking about getting involved, the elders can join us each week Tuesday through Thursday for a nutritious lunch, and a vibrant fellowship. Lunch is served at 12 noon. You can call 781-483-3042 to make a reservation. Okay, and Jillian Harvey, the new president of the Mystic Valley Branch NAACP, will be joining us for First Fridays in March. March is Women's History Month, and we can all look forward to a bit of a warm and great conversation with a new friend, so look out for that. Saturday, February 18th, 12 to 4 p.m., our second Black Entrepreneurs Marketplace and Sale, celebrating Black History Month and sampling the wares of a host of great vendors and creative folks. This is our second such event, and the first one was epic, so you want to come out, hang out, spend your money. Okay, February school vacation Tuesday through Friday 221 to 224 from 3 to 5 p.m We're having an event called show me the funny a team comedy workshop with Cedric Arno He's a local comedian and in an entrepreneur and he's gonna teach kids how to be on stage and be funny and with folks, okay, in a non-threatening and easy-going way. He's a good guy. Tuesdays, beginning 3-7, for six weeks, you can join our friend and former board member, Jamil Webb Davis, for Get Your Money Life Organized, the six-week online class designed to help de-stress your personal financial management. And we will post and send notices about all of these things on our constant contact. Saturday, 325, 2 to 4 p.m., look for the Women's History Month Tea in collaboration with the West Medford Senior Club. Stay tuned for more details. In April, we will be hosting the WMCC's live annual legislative breakfast. Stay tuned for further details. And then, Saturday, 6-17, we're projecting for the future, The WMCC will host a Parkside Juneteenth celebration, okay? It's gonna be big. All right, so how can you help us? Your tax-deductible donations help to support the mission of WMCC. Partner with us in carrying this mission forward. Please consider making a tax-deductible donation to this vital community organization. You can make your donation by phone, online, or by check. please contact Lisa Crossman at 781-483-3042 for more information or to become a member. Membership has its privileges. Okay folks, now it's time to turn our attention to the lyrical miracle we've engaged for this evening's musical side of The Ledger. So tonight we go to two well-established and highly professional performers that have gained a huge local following and have also taken their wonderful talents well beyond Massachusetts in New England. It gives me great pleasure to introduce my friend and sister, Katani Sumner. Katani Sumner is currently an educator in the Newton Public Schools, as well as a sought-after speaker and singer-songwriter, well-known as the inspirational emcee for the gospel brunch at the original House of Blues on the Fenway, to Rave Gospel Brunch. She served in that role at the House of Blues Fenway to Rave Reviews. Katani is currently a member of the House of Blues Schoolhouse Band, where she is the singer-narrator for the History of the Blues presentations. Katani's most recent project has been the creation of the Zebra Friends podcast. A friendly conversation and exchange of ideas between long-term friends who happen to be black and white, hence the zebra piece. The podcast is available on Apple and Spotify. She is a vocalist. with an amazing repertoire and a great sense of lyrical style, as you will soon see and hear. Welcome to West Medford Katani. And no less an accomplished and highly sought after musician, songwriter, composer, and arranger, let me also present Mark Copeland III. Mark is an associate professor of music at Berklee College and the founder and CEO of Microscope Music LLC. He's known throughout the New England region as a jazz master, an exceptional teacher, and an advocate for young musicians looking to establish their career in the business of music. Mark is himself a Berklee trained musician whose abilities and exploits put him on the I want to play with him list. of many of the area's top professionals. Ladies and gentlemen, it may be cold outside, but it's about to heat up in this room. Here's Katani Sumner and Mark Copeland.
[Sumner]: Wow, thank you, thank you, thank you. So let me say, it's an honor to be here. I've never been in this building, never been in this space. And we were watching the live stream upstairs. So Miss Lisa, we have some things in common. I play ball. I used to coach basketball. I stopped at refereeing. But I'm so honored to be here at the beginning of Black History Month. And can I just say, I am thrilled to see bodies in these chairs. I was praying for the best, but ready to prepare for the worst. I was going to sing to my husband. And I was like, it's OK. And the cameraman, and we were just going to get our little thing going on. But you guys, we are going to make this worth your trek in the polar tundra, OK? So thank you so much for coming out. And if it's okay with you, we're going to take like a little musical history tour. Is that all right? I thought so. And so I want you to feel free to chime in and jump in. We might learn something. So as the narrator at the House of Blues, now I actually worked at the original House of Blues, the blue house in Cambridge. Any of y'all ever gone to that one? Yes. Did you ever come to the gospel brunch? Yes. If it was a female, it was probably me. I used to have dreadlocks, honey, the gray. It's a new look. But that was me so most likely um, so it's been a blessing to do this. I'm an educator I love it and I love engaging kids with music and things So we're gonna take a little history tour because I learned some things and I'm hoping we all learn some things tonight and enjoy the music as we go so Yeah, Mark, we've been around the world, y'all, but it's good. New England, too, but we've been some places, especially Mark. So we're going to start off by thinking about, you know, enslaved Africans came here early, you know, 1500s, they documented in the 1600s. And what happened was when enslaved Africans first came here, the first music that they really shared or participated in what's called work songs or field hollers because, you know, that gave them some energy and camaraderie with the folks who were working the lines with them. And then after the field hollers, what came next really was spirituals. So we're going to start off with a little spiritual. And this is one that has a multiple meaning because, you know, Wade in the Water, when enslaved people were escaping, you gave messages in the music because you weren't allowed to really talk to each other. So we had to use talking drums to give messages. And then they try to take away the drums. So we're like, OK, well, we can make rhythm with whatever we got. But the song is Wade in the Water. And I'm going to try to stay cute without my glasses. Last Tuesday, I turned 60, so I might just keep it 100 if I need to. If I need to, just trust me. But anyway, so the song goes a little like this, and there's a message in the music. It said, wait in the water. Wait in the water, children, wait in the water. God's going to trouble the water. See that host all dressed in white? God's going to trouble the water. The leader looks like the Israelite. God's going to trouble the water. Wait in the water. You can sing if you want to. Wait in the water, children. Wait in the water. God's going to trouble the water. see that band all dressed in red God's gonna trouble the water it looks like the band that Moses led God's gonna trouble the world if you know it sing it come on Y'all sound good. Y'all sound good. Y'all sound good. Y'all sound good. Y'all sound good. Y'all sound good. Y'all sound good. Y'all sound good. Y'all sound good. Y'all sound good. Y'all sound good. Y'all sound good. Y'all sound good. Y'all sound good. Y'all sound good. Y'all sound good. Y'all sound good. Y'all sound good. Y'all sound good. Y'all sound good. Y'all sound good. Y'all sound good. Y'all sound good. Y'all sound good. Y'all sound good. Y'all sound good. Y'all sound good. Y'all sound good. Y'all sound good. Y'all sound good. Y'all sound good. Y'all sound good. Y'all sound good. Y'all sound good. Y'all sound good. Y'all sound good. Y'all sound good. Y' If you don't believe I've been redeemed, God's gonna trouble. Just follow me down to the Jordan stream. God's gonna trouble. All right, big finish, everybody. Let's sing. Wade in the water. Wade in the water, children. Wade in the water. God's gonna trouble the water. I said God's gonna trouble. Keep on moving. God's gonna trouble. Keep on believing. God's gonna trouble. Don't give up because God's gonna trouble the water. Yeah. Yes. So one of the things we have to, we tell young people and they don't want to believe it, but all the American music forms originated from the blues, to keep it real. Like we didn't deal with classical, but country, all of that came out of a foundation of the blues. And so, you know, we went from spirituals and we have the blues. And now the blues originated in the deep South around the 1890s, 1860s. Okay, here we go. It's early. I had to go early. I know. So we incorporated spirituals, and work songs, and field hollers, and shouts, and chants, and rhymes, simple narratives from the African-American culture. Now there are many different types of blues, including country blues, delta blues, and classic blues. which usually featured women out in front of bands such as Legends, Ma Rainey, and Bessie Smith. And they were the first real recorded artists to really, their music went national because music started being charted and recorded. And so we're going to do this classic blues song called Backwater Blues. And this song was really about the, it was written in 1927, released in 1927. in response to the Great Mississippi Flood. Anybody ever heard of that? The Great Mississippi Flood of 1927? Just one? Well, here we go. Can y'all hear me okay? We're gonna learn some things tonight. You heard of this? Okay, listen. This was terrible. So in 1927, it was the most destructive river flood in the history of the U.S. 27,000 square miles were depths of up to 30 feet over a course of several months. So this was bad. And approximately 500 people died. I'm surprised more people didn't die, but maybe there weren't that many living. I don't know. But anyway, this was Bessie Smith, and this is Backwater Blues. And y'all are so good, I might give y'all some choreography. Here we go. When it rained five days and the skies turned dark as night, yeah. When it rained five days and the skies turned dark as night, yeah. There's trouble taking place in the lowlands at night. I woke up this morning, can't even get out of my door, no, no. I woke up this morning, can't even get out of my door, no, no. There's enough trouble to make a poor girl wonder where she wanna go. Can I put your hands up and be my thunder and lightning? When it thunders and lightning and the winds begin to blow. Come on, thunder. Come on, lightning. When it thunders and lightning and the winds begin to blow, yeah. There's thousands of people and ain't got no place to go. Now, can y'all clap your rhythm? Here we go. Try this. Backwater blues, don't call me to pack my things and go. Yeah. ♪ Blackwater blues, don't call me to pack my things and go, yeah ♪ ♪ Cause my house fell down and I can't live there no more, no more ♪ Yeah. listen again i'm grateful to be here this is the first time i've been able to sing in a little while because these little viral things that are going around the ones that ain't covet they can kick you just as hard y'all know that right and they hold on for a long time so stay well stay well vitamin c all the good stuff you need to do um so this is that was the blues And now you know right after the blues, and even at the same time as the blues, jazz. Any of y'all jazz fans? I know, I know, right? So now jazz, it's a type of music of African-American origin, of course, characterized by improvisation, syncopation, and usually a regular or forceful rhythm. Excuse me. Instrumentation is often brass, woodwind instruments, and piano. And a standard rhythm section would often be comprised of keyboards, a bass, and some drums. So we thought y'all might appreciate this little ditty by Duke Ellington. And you might have heard it with one of my favorite singers of all time that I did not even hear about till I went to college. A little lady named Ella Fitzgerald. Y'all remember her? All right. So y'all so good, if you want to jump right in, you just... And y'all are going to get to hear Mr. Copeland, the maestro, kill up on this piano, all right? It's called a dominant thing if it ain't got that swing, if y'all ain't figured out yet. All right, here we go. It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing. Do-wop, do-wop, do-wop, do-wop, do-wop, do-wop, do-wop. It don't mean a thing. All you gotta do is sing. Do-wop, do-wop, do-wop, do-wop, do-wop, do-wop, do-wop, do-wop. It makes no difference if it's sweet or hot. I just give that rhythm everything you've got. I dip it out and do it, don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing. Do I, do I, do I, do I, do I, do I, do I, do I. It don't mean a thing, give it up for Mark, if it ain't got that swing. Do I, do I, do I, do I, do I, do I, do I, do I. It don't mean a thing, all you gotta do is sing. Do I, do I, do I, do I, do I, do I, do I, do I. It makes no difference if it's sweet or hot. Just give that rhythm everything you've got. I mean a thing if it ain't got that swing. Do I, do I, do I, do I, do I, do I, do I, do I, yeah. Do I, do I, do I, do I, do I, do I, do I, one more time. Do I, do I, do I, do I, do I, do I, do I, do I. Yeah. Woo! Woo! You have no idea. I'm so excited. I really thought it was going to be me and my husband. Y'all are not only here, but you are singing. Y'all are vibing. This is going to be fun. Let's keep it going. OK. So of course, there's spirituals, there's blues, there's jazz. And at the same time, what was happening was gospel was kicking it in the background. Because gospel is really just spirituals and blues put together. How many of y'all know that? because the father of gospel music his name was Thomas A Dorsey and he was a jammer in the blues okay but his he got his heart broken his wife and his child died in childbirth and this song that he wrote was actually as a response to his extreme heartbreak but it became known as one of the like like I feel like it's the funeral song now. And this was one of Dr. King's favorite songs. In fact, Mahalia Jackson sang it at his funeral. Anybody know what song this is? Come on. Talk back to me. Y'all don't know, really? We just learning a lot here. Text in the mail, huh? Say it. Mahalia Jackson sang it. That's one of her major ones. Yeah, but no, y'all. Precious Lord. Precious Lord, take my hand. lead me on let me stand I'm tired I'm weak And I'm worn through the storm, through the night. lead me on to the light. Take my hand. Precious Lord, and lead Yeah, we're going to stop there. Because I don't want to start. Yeah. Yes, Lord. Yes. So Precious Lord actually came out in 1932. So that was right around the Harlem Renaissance. That was right around that time. And this is one of my favorite. jazz standards but I did a little research and this was written by Billie Holiday and it was funny because she wrote it in response to asking her mother for some money or something like that knowing that she had supplied a lot of what her mother had her mother was like I ain't giving you nothing and she said well God bless the child that's got his own I said you know what that sounds like a good uh lyric to a song and it goes like this Them that's got shall have. Them that's not shall lose. So the Bible says, and it still isn't news, said your mama may have and your papa may have, but God bless the child who's got his own, who's got his own. Well, the strong gets more while the weak ones fade. Empty pockets don't ever make the grave. Said your mama may have, papa may have it too, but God bless the child who's got her own, who's got her own. Money, you've got lots of friends hanging around your door. But when it's gone and your spending ends, they don't come around, ain't gonna come around, don't seem to know you no more. Rich relations, they're going to give a crust of bread and such. You can help yourself, but you better not take too much. Said your mama may have, and your papa may have, but God bless the child who's got his own. God bless the child who's got her own. God bless the child who's got his own. Who's got his own. Thank you so much. So this next song is a gospel song technically, but it was written originally as a children's song back in 1933. But it became a civil rights song. It came to be, I think, first came into prominence sung by Sam Cooke, believe it or not, in 1964. And this is like one of my anthems, because my mission, I say that I want to be light and provide love and laughter through music, education, and care. But anyway, I believe we are all light. And so you can sing this with a two-year-old. You can sing this with a 102-year-old. And for me, it still has significance, because we are all a light. Some might be a little flashlight. Some might be a high beam light. Some might be a whatever. We're gonna have to give it a, so we can, let's see, what beat can we give this? I wish my husband could play something for me. Pull out the tambourine, honey. All right, here we go. So here's a little rhythm lesson. It's on the two and the four. So if you're rhythmically challenged, I still love you, but I'm gonna help you out, okay? So you're gonna tap your foot on the one and clap on the two. Here we go, try this. You're gonna go stomp, clap. There we go. Come on. Stomp, clap. You got it. Stomp, clap. Stomp, clap. If y'all can try to hang in there with that. Thank you, honey. Here we go. This little light of mine. Come on and sing. I'm going to let it. This little light. This little light of mine. Sing it like you mean it. I'm going to let it shine. This little light. I'm going to let it. I'm going to let it shine. Let it shine. Let it shine. Come on, everybody. Sing, everywhere that I go, everywhere I go, I'm going to let it shine. Everywhere I'm gonna, I'm gonna let it shine. Oh, everywhere I go, I'm gonna, I'm gonna let it shine. Let it shine. Let it shine. Let it shine. Let's do one more verse. You can't blow it up. You can't blow it up. I made this up. I'm gonna, I'm gonna let it shine. You can't blow it up. You can't blow it up. I'm gonna, I'm gonna. You can't blow it. You can't blow it. I'm going to let it. I'm going to let it. Let's finish up. Let it shine. Let it shine. Let it shine. Sing let it shine. Let it shine. One more time. Let it shine. Let it shine. Let it shine. Let it shine. All right, here comes another little history lesson. Let's see if y'all know it. I was going to bring candy and give it out, but I was like, ain't nobody going to want no candy. But anyway, here you are. Again, I'm so excited. This is a song that was first actually written by this amazing Black woman. But you know how it happened back in the day. Black people write an amazing song. And then somebody not Black decides that, ooh, I'd be liking that. And so they're like, let me do this. And then everybody going to like it. And I'm going to make a lot of money. And we never seem to remember who the other person was. So I'm going to sing it by the first person. And I won't even tell you who it is. And I'm going to ask y'all to tell me who it was, see if you know it, all right? Here we go. You ain't nothing but a hound dog, been snooping around my door. You ain't nothing but a hound dog, been snooping around my door. You can wag your tail, but I ain't going to feed you no more. You told me you were high class. I could see through that. Yes, you told me you were high class, but I could see you through that. And daddy, I know you ain't no real cool cat. You ain't nothing but a hound dog. I've been snooping around the door. You're just an old nasty hound dog. I've been snooping around my door. So you can wag your tail, but I ain't gonna feed you no more. Get on out of here. All right. Who knows? Million dollar question. Who was that? No. That might have been somebody in this century that did it. But the first person. Yeah, go say that. Right. Big Mama Thornton. Yes, yes. You get to have some snacks. They're right in there. Just for you, that's okay. Even if you cheated, listen, you got the right answer. So it's, yes, it's all good. But this might be the version y'all recognize. Remember this one? You ain't nothing but a hound dog, crying all the time. You ain't nothing but a hound dog, crying all the time. Well, you ain't never in a rabbit hole, ain't no friend of mine. That's enough of him. All right. Black History Month. Y'all know who that was. But you know what? I saw the movie. He grew up around a lot of black folks. No wonder he sounded black. Y'all see that movie? I was like, oh, that makes sense. He was all shouting at church and everything. Would you say he was really black? Oh, he thought he was. Oh, OK. I was like, woo. I was like, woo, somebody got some tea up in here about Elvis. I didn't know that one. All right, so we're going to move a little bit forward. But what'd you say? I love this. It's just like my class. It's like class, you know? Yeah, that's right. Interactive. You know, whoever talks the most learns the most. So I want to hear y'all. So we move up through. All right, so let me see. So next coming up was kind of like what's called R&B. So that was kind of like blues combination with rock, because Elvis became more of a rock kind of song. But in the late 50s, 1950s and 60s, now we got to say the 19 in front of it. Ain't that crazy? Some of us have been alive for a while. You got to put all four numbers. OK. All right. What year were you born? I'm like, OK. Wow, OK. In the late 1950s and 60s, a new sound was spreading across America. That was called soul music. And actually, soul music is like a combination of rhythm and blues and the gospel vocal style. Now, this music spoke to the heart and moved the soul. Now, over in Detroit, Michigan, there was something called Motown happening. Barry Gordy was a brilliant producer, writer. And he was like, we're going to turn this thing out and make it excellent. And we're going to make it. enough that it can cross over and everybody can like this music. So this first song we're gonna do was by a Motown artist. And this was actually their number, this was their first number one song. And it came out in, let's see, it came out in 1965. It was their first number one hit. I know y'all know this and you can at least give me a little sway. Here we go. Come on y'all, here we go, come on, here we go. If you know it, come on, sing it. I've got sunshine on a cloudy day. Oh, I can hear everybody in the choir singing. All right, when it's cold, when it's cold outside. I've got the month of May. Sounds good, y'all. Come on, let's sing it. Well, I guess you'll say, you'll say, what can make me feel this way? My girl, my girl, my girl, talking about you. I've got so much honey, the bees envy me. got a sweeter song than the bees in the trees. Come on, y'all. Sing along with me. Well, I guess you say, what can make me feel this way? My girl, my girl, my girl, talking about my girl. All right, we should probably end it. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Right. I haven't had to talk and sing at the same time in a long time, y'all. Hold on. This is when you say, OK, open up your notebook to this page here, and y'all work it out for the next five minutes. But hold on. I had to go with my. my sister known as the Queen of Soul, as the 1960s brought protest songs and protest music. This song was originally, became famous by Otis, well, he wrote it. Otis Redding wrote this song, but she took it and just like, so most people assume it's her song, but there actually was someone else who put it out first, but we give RiRi all the credit for this one, y'all ready? I'm getting a little, What you want? Baby, I got it. What you need? Do you know I got it? And all I'm asking is for a little respect when you come home. Hey, baby, when you come home, mister, I ain't gonna do you wrong. Why you gone? I ain't gonna do you wrong, cause I don't want to. And all I'm asking is for a little respect when you come home. Baby, when you get home. Now. I'm about to give you all my money. And all I'm asking in return, honey, is give me my purpose when you get home. Baby, when you get home. Now. If y'all know it, come on and sing with me. Ooh, your kisses sweeter than honey. And guess what? So is my money. And all I want you to do for me is bring it to me when you get home. Baby, whip it to me when you get home. Hey, come on, sing along with me. Say R-E-S-P-E-C-T. Find out what it means to me. R-E-S-P-E-C-T. What? Take care of T-C-P-L. My little respect. Oh, a little respect. Hey, I get tired. I keep on trying. Said you're running on a full line. I need your respect. When you get home, I know that I want it. Respect. When you get home, come and go back to the bridge. Try it again. R-E-S-P-E-C-T. Find out what it means to me. R-E-S-P-E-C-T. Take care of TCP. Oh, yeah. Respect. Hey. Woo. Yes, yes, yes, yes. We having us a good old time. I'm having a good time, y'all. I'm having a good time. I feel like you're at my private party here, and we're just jamming. All right. So you know the 60s was a time of protesting, and songs were coming out in the 60s about what was going on in the world. And this is a song that was written in protest to the Vietnam War. And I know y'all are of the right generation to know where we going with this. Our brother Marvin. If you know, y'all can sing along. Here we go. Mother, mother, there's too many of you crying. Brother, brother, brother, there's far too many of you dying. You know we've got to find a way. to bring some loving here today. Father, Father, we don't need to escalate. You see, war is not the answer, for only love can conquer hate. You know we've got to find a way. to bring some lovin' here today. Sisters is first. Picket line, sister. And picket sign, sister. Don't punish me with brutality. Come on, talk to me so we can see what's going on. What's going on. Tell me what's going on. What's going on? Hey. Hey, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do. Do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, yeah. Mother, mother, everybody thinks we're wrong. Oh, but who are they to judge us? Simply because our hair is long. I love when I have my long dreadlocks, but what can I say? You know, we've got to find a way to bring some understanding. here today. Now say, brother, picket lines, brother, and picket signs. Don't punish me with brutality. Come on, talk to me. So you can see what's going on, what's going on, what's going on, what's going on, what's going on. I want to know what's going on. Yeah. I got to make some choices. Let's see. Well, you know what? Let's do Bill Withers because I love that song. It just makes me happy. When I wake up in the morning. It's always a blessing to have some feel good music and Bill Withers. He was a master songwriter, Grandma's Hands. And this is a really beautiful song that I've seen after-school kids do this with little sticks and shakas. And my granddaughter, who's 18 months, loves this song. So this is a universal favorite. So I hope it blesses your heart, too. And it goes something like this. When I wake up in the morning, love, And the sunlight hurts my eyes. And something without warning, love, hangs heavy on my mind. But then I look at you, and the world's all right with me. Ooh, just one look at you, and I know it's going to be, if you know it, jump on in, a lovely day. Thank you, Christian, for backing me up. A lovely day. A lovely day. When the day that lies ahead of me seems impossible to face. When someone else instead of me always seems to know the way. But baby, but then I look at you, yeah, and the world's all right with me. Just one look at you and I know it's gonna be a lovely day. A lovely day. A lovely day. Hey, hey, hey, it's gonna be a lovely day. Yeah. So yes. So I didn't know what the crowd might be in terms of demographics, but we're going to go here because it's a teachable moment. So did y'all know like back in the 70s, so that was 77. But in 1978, there was a group called Chic, and they brought out this hit. called Good Times. Do y'all remember that? Do y'all remember that song? But here's the thing, right? We're going to consolidate time, because we want you to understand how there were these young kids in New York City, and they were like scratching with turntables and all that good stuff. And they started sampling before you had to ask permission. And they just, they took this hit by, Chic. So just to remind you what it sounded like, this is the hit that came out by Chic. If you know this, raise your hand. It goes like this. Good times. These are the good times. Yeah. Leave your cares behind. Leave your hands. These are the good times. Come on, if you know it, sing it, because we need some more good times around here. Good times. All right, got some dances. Come on, y'all. These are the good times. All new state of mind. These are the good times. But y'all know what happened, right? So this is what it became. I said a hip, a hop, to hip it, to hip it, to the hip, hip hop. And you don't stop rocking to the bang, bang, boogie. Say up, jump, to the rhythm of the boogity beat. Ha! And now what you hear is not a text that I'm rapping to the beat. And me, the groove, and my friends are going to try to move your feet. You see, I am, I say Special K, and I like to say hello to the black, to the white, the red, and the brown, the purple, and yellow. But first, I got to bang, bang the boogie to the boogie. So up, jump the boogie to the bang, bang boogie. Let's rock. You don't stop. Rock the rhythm that'll make your body rock. Yeah. Woo-hoo! Yes! Yes, hunty! So that song was released in 79, but on March, not March, whoo, January 5th, 1980, that, Rapper's Delight became the first hip hop single to reach the Billboard Top 40. That was huge, that was huge, huge, huge. And it signaled that hip hop ain't going anywhere. Rap and hip hop, as much as people said, oh, it's a fad, guess what, y'all, that was 1980. It's 2023, it's still rocking. And it became the top three in the UK. And guess what, honey? It was number one in Canada. My husband went to college in Canada. We have a great passion for Canada. We love Canada. All right, so we coming down to the end, y'all. But I want to do one last song because this is one of my favorite songs of all time. I'm a big, big, big Stevie Wonder fan. I saw Stevie Wonder and Aretha Franklin when I was like nine years old at the Boston Garden is what it was called at the time. And I just said, when I grow up, I want to sing background vocals for Stevie Wonder. And I, oh Jesus, do I not have the lyrics? I'm gonna fake my way through this one. Okay. That's frightening. Okay. I mean, I've sung it a few times, but you know, it's different when you gotta stand up and fake it. Well, you know, we gonna make it work. We gonna make it do what it do, baby, okay? And I always said I wanted to be Aretha Franklin at that time, but Aretha had a rough life, so I'm thankful that that didn't happen, and I wanted to sing background for Stevie Wonder. So we just gonna sing a little bit of this and send us on our way, and just know that I'll be loving you for always. My husband and I, we've been married for 37 years. Yes, 37. Now, you know what? I'm just, I can't believe that I do not have this on, but you know what we're about to do? Because you know there's a friend of mine called Google, and he just, he just, ooh, he just makes things happen, y'all. So, can you believe that? Of all my songs, this is my favorite song. That's probably why I didn't bother to put it on it, because I thought I could fake it, but no, uh-uh, baby. We're going to get Stevie right. So yes, it's called As. And we had this played at our 25th wedding anniversary. And we're going to have it played at our 50th, baby, because we're going to make it. We just got to stay alive. Staying alive, staying alive. All right. Here we go. I hope it's a blessing to you. We slowed it down a little bit. As around the sun the earth knows she's revolving, and the rosebuds know to bloom in early May. Just as hate knows love's the cure, you can rest your mind assured that I'll be loving you always. As now can't reveal the mystery of tomorrow But in passing we'll grow older every day Just as all that's born is new You know what I say is true That I'll be loving you always Until the ocean covers every mile I need y'all help here Always, until the dolphin flies and parrots live at sea. Always, until we dream of life and life becomes a dream. Did you know that true love asks for nothing? See, this is a mess. Why are you getting on Google? The acceptance is the way we pay. They skipped a verse, but it's all good. Did you know that life has given love a guarantee to last through forever and another day? Just as time knew to move on since the beginning, and the seasons know exactly when to change. Come on, spring, please. Know through all your joy and pain that I'll be loving you always. Another verse. As today I know I'm living, but tomorrow could make me the past, but that I mustn't fear. For I'll know deep in my mind the love of me I've left behind, because I I'll be loving you always. Get ready. Until the days and seas just stop and fly away. Always. Until the day that 8 times 8 times 8 is 4. Always. Until the day that is the days that are no more. Always.
[Unidentified]: All right.
[Sumner]: You know what? That's enough. Make it pretty. Thank you. Awesome. That is our time. It has been a blessing. I hope this will not be the last time we see y'all. Next time I see you, it'll be in the street, as they say. My name's Katani. This is Mark Copeland. Bless you. Thank you for having us. It's been a blast.
[Carter]: Wow, wow, wow, wow, wow, wow. Give it up once again for Katani Sumner and Mark Copeland III. So I kind of had a sense that I was going to be on the right track with this pair of excellent musicians. Um, thank, thank you so much, Mark and Katani. Uh, that was an awesome set. Um, and we're so blessed to have you grace our little stage up in here. Wow. Just wow. Just wow. Um, so this is a wrap for this live edition of WMCC's monthly words and music program. We're, we're really thrilled to be kicking off Black History Month by visiting with you in your living rooms in other household places. I want to thank Lisa once again, Lisa Crossman, for stepping up to tonight's challenge and bringing new salt and light to the table. A virtual high five to my man Kyle Douglas back there on the cameras. And to MCM's Kevin Harrington, who's going back to the studio, but who was here earlier helping us to get set up on the technical side. I mean, it takes a lot to put one of these programs together, believe me. Thank you all for spending another evening enjoying what the WMCC has to offer. If heck doesn't freeze over, and it just might, We'll be back in March with another edition of First Friday's Words and Music. So before we fade to black, here's one more reminder about what's happening next at your WMCC. Elders know you can come have lunch with us, 12 noon, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Call 781-483-3042 to make a reservation. Jillian Harvey will indeed be joining us in March, first Fridays. It's Women's History Month, and she'll have a lot to say about a lot. Saturday, 2-18, Black Entrepreneurs Marketplace and Sale, celebrating Black History Month. Come sample all of the great stuff that the vendors and the creators will be bringing. This is our second time out, and the first one really was great. February school vacation, show me the funny teen comedy workshop with Cedric Arnold, it's going to be good. Tuesdays, beginning 3-7, six weeks with Jamil Davis, get your money life organized. Online class designed to de-stress your personal financial management. Last but not least, Saturday 3-25, Look for Women's History Month Tea in collaboration with the WMSC Senior Club. Stay tuned for details. April, legislative breakfast. June 17, Parkside Juneteenth celebration. Thanks once again to the lead sponsor of WMCC First Fridays programming, the Medford Arts Council, a member of the Massachusetts Cultural Council. That's all for now, folks. Join the center in our conversation with Jillian Harvey in March. Send us your email addresses if you want to be included in our regular constant contact connection. You can also call us at 781-483-3042. I'm Terry E. Carter, your host. Be safe and keep warm. We'll see you again soon.