Northwestern Community Ensemble

Bursar’s Office Takeover, May 3, 1968

After the Takeover of the Bursar’s Office in 1968, Northwestern’s social and academic landscape had some notable differences. The protest, led by Black students, resulted in the negotiation of the May 4^th Agreement in which administrators committed to working with students to address racial inequities on campus. The campus’ first major protest led to significant changes including the establishment of the Black House, the Department of African American Student Affairs, and ultimately, the Department of African American Studies. It also aided in a rise in Black student enrollment. By 1973, there were approximately 670 Black students enrolled at Northwestern, a significant increase from 120 in 1968. There was also greater diversity within the Black student body. Previously, most Black students were from the Chicago area as they were recruited locally. By 1972, they came from states throughout the country.  A major contribution to this change was that Black students took part in the recruitment process as paid student employees, a clause in the May 4th Agreement.  As part of their work, they served as official representatives of Northwestern and visited Black high school applicants from major metropolitan areas. By the 1970s, students were direct beneficiaries of the outcome of the Takeover. Still, students in the early 1970s continued to protest to uphold the agreements made in 1968. 

Eileen Cherry, co-founder of NCE. Syllabus Yearbook, 1973

Eileen Cherry (Comm’73) from Toledo, Ohio, entered Northwestern in the fall of 1969, a few months after the Takeover. Initially, she planned to study journalism. She was also inspired by the Black Arts Movement. Cherry was interested in art that celebrated the Black aesthetic, or works of art, literature, poetry, music, and theatre that focused on Black life and culture. As well as art that promoted Black consciousness, an awareness of one’s Black identity, and moved people toward influencing political change.

Cherry was appointed as the Facilitator for Cultural Affairs as part of For Members Only (FMO), Northwestern’s Black student alliance. Cherry worked with peers to create artistic outlets that celebrated the Black Arts, evoked cultural awareness, and fostered self-expression. In conceptualizing these artistic outlets, Cherry received guidance and support from the founder of Kuumba Theatre, Val Gray Ward. As a result, Cherry helped found FMO’s jazz ensemble The Life and Death Situation, founded by Steve Colson, Tony Porter, Chico Freeman, and Clovis Semmes, FMO’s dance troupe Wantu Wazuri, founded by Gail Holly, and a visual arts group. Also, in 1971 Cherry created “The Ritual,” which was a program to welcome incoming Black students to Northwestern and bring the Black community together for fellowship. The Ritual incorporated various expressions of art, including poetry, music, and theatre. Additionally, students reenacted the Bursar’s Office Takeover as a mechanism for passing down their history. Cherry envisioned that The Ritual would become a tradition that could be replicated for years to come. She also recognized the importance of Black-created organizations that ensured opportunities for Black students. Cherry formed Black Folks Theatre to celebrate the Black aesthetic and offer roles for Black actors who were not getting parts in existing theatre organizations on campus.  

L. Stanley Davis, NCE’s first musical director and president.

After these student organizations were formed, there was still a missing component, and that was a choral group. Cherry brought a group of fifteen students together to sing in an FMO-sponsored benefit to raise money for the legal defense fund of fellow student Bob Scott, accused of setting fire to the Linguistics building.  

At this point, Cherry wanted to concentrate on developing Black Folks Theatre. Therefore, she was in search of a musical director for a choir. She sought out Lurell Stanley Davis (WCAS’74 Comm’97) from Baltimore, Maryland. Cherry was aware of Davis’ musical talent, directing experience from his home church, and knowledge of gospel music history. However, when she presented the idea to Davis, he immediately declined the offer. Cherry understood his hesitation for taking on that responsibility. Still, she felt compelled to persistently persuade him to change his mind. The turning point came when in 1971, FMO sponsored the Illinois Black Chorus to sing at the Alice Millar Chapel. The choir formed in 1968 under the direction of Northwestern alumnus, composer, and concert pianist, Robert Ray (Music’68). The performance was so impactful that Davis told Cherry that he was ready to form a choir. 

From the Black Student Handbook, Nguvu-Njuzi, 1972-1973

Cherry, Davis, and Clifton Gerring III met to discuss plans for forming the choir. Gerring lived across the hall from Davis. He was a member of the Reverend Milton Brunson and the Thompson Community Singers, also known as, The Tommies. While the three were impressed by the Illinois Black Choir’s large membership, they decided that they wanted a small ensemble. The rationale was that they wanted to develop member’s voices, ensure that everyone sang, and make it easier to travel by bus for tours. It was also important to them that the choir sing music commonly associated with the Black Church. In addition to singing contemporary gospel, they would also sing anthems, spirituals , and hymns. They also wanted the choir to be versatile, trained to sing acapella, in case instruments were not available. And they wanted the music to be broadly appealing across Christian denominations.

They settled on the name, Northwestern Community Ensemble (NCE) to be inclusive of the local community, inviting students from the neighboring schools to join the choir. They reached out to students at Kendall College and National College of Education (today is known as, National Louis University), which were also predominately white schools. Jacqueline Lott Jackson was a student at both Kendall and National College of Education. She learned that NCE was holding auditions for the choir through a flyer she found on campus. The choir was also intentionally interdenominational and multiracial. While the choir sang Black sacred music, it was open to anyone who wanted to join.

Interior of Ebenezer AME Church in Evanston, IL.

For the choir to utilize the performance rooms at the School of Music, they needed a faculty advisor from the program. However, they could not identify a member of the faculty who had expertise in Black sacred music. The roadblock underscored one of the demands from Black students involved in the Takeover, that there was a need for faculty with expertise in Black history and culture. Furthermore, since students could not identify an appropriate faculty advisor, they could not get formal recognition as a campus student organization. Additionally, they could not request university funding. Therefore, NCE started out as an independent student group. They decided to identify a rehearsal space off-campus. Davis asked Reverend Jacob Blake, the pastor at Ebenezer African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church in Evanston if the choir could rehearse there on Saturdays. They held their first audition at Ebenezer on Saturday, May 8, 1971.

The congregation at Ebenezer AME and the Blake family were of immense support to NCE. The choir ultimately sang for the church on second Sundays at their 11 am service. The arrangement was mutually beneficial since the church did not have a youth and young adult choir. Also, the church allowed Black Folks Theatre to use the basement to perform “El-Hajj Malik.” NCE also sang at other churches in Evanston, including Second Baptist Church for “college day” when Hycel Taylor was the pastor. Taylor was the director of the Church of the Black Experience at Garrett Theological Seminary. Garrett’s Black seminarians were early supporters of NCE and often invited them to perform in campus programs. In fact, in 1972, NCE sang at Garrett’s 115^th commencement, which had the largest African American graduating class at the time.

From “An Evening of Music,” 1971

“An Evening of Music” concert program.

The choir was a spiritual experience for its members and a ministry to their audiences. Davis noted the importance of the musical lyrics, how the words had to “bless people.” Bob Moore described it as “NCE providing a little bit of home at Northwestern University by providing a one-of-a-kind spiritual refuge and peace of mind.” Others expressed that NCE was a source of comfort that kept them in school and helped them persevere so they could graduate from Northwestern. 

The ensemble gave their first performance at Northwestern University in their debut concert titled, “An Evening of Music,” held on Friday, December 10, 1971. Since NCE was not a recognized student organization they could not reserve the Alice Millar Chapel for the concert. Alternatively, FMO offered to sponsor the concert and reserve the space on NCE’s behalf. 

Unless otherwise noted, the sources displayed are from the Northwestern University Archives and the Daily Northwestern and Syllabus Yearbook, courtesy of Students Publishing Company. The interviews were conducted with the following Northwestern Community Ensemble alumni, L. Stanley Davis, Eileen Cherry-Chandler, Bishop Perry, Bob Moore, Warren Lawson, and Jacqueline Lott Jackson.