The Kuumba Singers of Harvard

Radical Existence. Black people deserve to exist. Our lives matter and each and every one of us lives radically by being who we are and paying homage to our cultural traditions despite the systemic oppression that has perpetuated various manifestations of anti-blackness in this country and the broader world.

It was not easy for Black students to “sing the Lord’s song” in the “strange land” of Harvard during this period of racial tension and campus unrest. Yet, Kuumba not only provided spiritual inspiration—it was also a source of unity and strength. The group chose the name “Kuumba” (Swahili for “creativity”) because it best captured the choir’s intent to reflect the creative genius of Black people through the rich diversity of Diasporic music and cultural expression. As written in the organization’s constitution, “Black music is a manifestation of the Black spirit – it speaks to our every emotion. Moreover, Black music helps sustain and direct our culture.” Reminding the Black community of its past, informing it of its present, and giving it hope and guidance for the future, the Kuumba Singers—through song, dance, poetry, and other forms of artistic expression—have always sought to leave the space called Harvard, and its surrounding community, better than when we found it. The choir’s current racial and ethnic diversity is both a remarkable testimony to, and a relentless test of, that noble and enduring ideal.

The Kuumba Singers were organized in November 1970 as a channel through which black students could direct their creative energies. The group was established at a time when black students from Harvard, Radcliffe, and other colleges in the Boston area felt themselves becoming increasingly alienated from one another. The choir served not only as a needed source of unity and strength bringing black students together on a regular basis but also as a source of spiritual inspiration. Today that inspiration, unity and strength extend to all those who believe in what the group represents.

More than half a century ago, in 1970, there was no space like Kuumba on Harvard’s campus. Established to address the needs of students during a tumultuous and contentious time, Kuumba is now the oldest Black organization on Harvard’s campus. For over 50 years, we have lifted our voices together in song, building an unbreakable family dedicated to celebrating who we are and where we come from.