Voorhees College Choir Participates in MLK Day Celebrations on Hilton Head Island

On Saturday, January 18, 2020, the Voorhees College Choir held a "Freedom Songs" concert at All Saints Episcopal Church on Hilton Head Island. The concert lasted for an hour and brought together a large crowd of residents from the local community and surrounding areas.  The church hosted the concert as part of the weekend celebration of the Martin Luther King, Jr., holiday and invited the Voorhees Choir to participate. 

Songs featured at the concert included "Lift Every Voice and Sing," the South African national anthem, and several Afro-American Spirituals. The concert was free, however a freewill offering was raised and proceeds will support students at Voorhees College.

Prior to the concert, the 18 choir members along with their director, Ms. Rachel Jones, and the college chaplain, Father James Yarsiah, spent the night in the homes of All Saints' parishioners. During the visit, the church sponsored a tour for the choir to visit the Penn Center in Beaufort. The Penn Center, now a museum, was the first established institution of higher learning for African Americans in the South.

At the end of the visit, choir members expressed their sincere gratitude to the rector (the Rev. Denise Trogdon) and parishioners of All Saints Episcopal Church for their generosity and hospitality. In an effort to support the mission of Voorhees College, located in the Southern Deanery of the Diocese of South Carolina, the rector and members of All Saints Episcopal Church established a special relationship with Voorhees College in 2014. This is the third time the church and their parishioners have hosted the choir for an entire weekend.

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