Minister Louis Farrakhan performs "Who Is Sylvia?" at Charles Wright Museum Benefit Concert

By Brother Jesse Muhammad

I’ll be the first to admit that I am not an expert on music, nor am I professional critic. In fact, the only instrument I ever learned to play was the snare drum back in middle school as a member of the band. However, I do know what beautiful music sounds like and on Sunday, May 18, I had the opportunity to enjoy just that via the Internet.

The Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History and Smith Jackson Arts presented Tapestry: A Spiritual Odyssey, a concert program paying homage to legendary musician Sylvia Olden Lee and composer Adolphus Hailstork, and celebrating the accomplishments of African Americans in the fine and performing arts. This fundraiser for the museum featured violinist The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan, Willis C. Patterson’s Our Own Thing Chorale, Gospel Choir Testimony directed by Alvin Waddles, Baritone Daniel Washington, A Porgy and Bess Suite featuring rising Opera stars Kimwana Doner and Nick Davis, CutTime String Quartet, and Internationally acclaimed Soprano Louise Toppin.

The program was spiritually moving from start to finish. It concluded with Minister Farrakhan playing the violin alongside his violin instructor Dr. Ayke Agus and the dynamic voice of Louise Toppin! Watch the clip of them performing “Who is Sylvia?” on Minister Farrakhan’s Facebook page. Rewatch the entire program here.

In his closing remarks, Minister Farrakhan encouraged everyone to support the museum to keep it from closing down.

“This museum must not close. So to keep this marvelous place open and thriving is our duty. So that many more people from all over the country and all over the world can come and see what we have been through,” urged Minister Farrakhan.

I made my donation and you can too by clicking here.