BUFFALO, NY (WKBW) — Mount St. Mary Academy students visited the Colored Musicians Club and Jazz Museum in Buffalo Thursday for their service and justice days learning about a rich music legacy from Buffalo.
The site was of ten different workshops set up for students on Thursday and Friday to conduct their in-field learning.
Students arrived outside the museum Thursday on Broadway in Buffalo for a chance to learn about “Artists as Activists".
They were greeted inside by museum Curator George Scott who first started coming to the national landmark when he was a teen.
.@msmacademy students visit the Colored Musicians Club in Buffalo as they perform service & justice days. Students were guided by curator George Scott who helped teach them about the legacy & struggles of African American musicians in Buffalo. @WKBW #justice pic.twitter.com/5bmrIXsDtC
— Eileen Buckley (@eileenwkbw) January 12, 2023
“It's just nice to be able to show these kids — hey Buffalo was a great place and we can bring it back to being a great place,” Scott explained.
Students first watched a video that provided the rich history of how African-Americans prevailed in Buffalo forming their own musicians local in 1917 when they could not join a white union.
“We can take what happened in the past and like prevent it from happening again,” reflected Sydney Armstrong, student.
Students also learned about the many world-renowned jazz greats who performed here at the social music club formed in 1935.
“I was really excited to come and learn more about the origin of a lot of Buffalo Black artists and where they started from,” described Jasmine Bawuor, student. “I didn't really know how far back these things went in Buffalo"
Then students headed over to multi-media exhibits where they could listen and play musical notes.
But it was also a chance for students to continue to learn about past social injustices and how these musicians fought against them to create equality with their talents and instruments.
“I think that a lot of racial struggles that a lot of people have lived through are very sad, but it's also good to know about which is why I'm grateful to have the experience to come here with my school on a field trip and learn things like this because it's kind of things you kind of have to know,” Bawuor noted.
“This club — besides being great musicians — we were one of the first to actually be welcoming to all races. We were part of the first to be integrated bands as well as the audience,” describes Scott. “The thing that was so interesting with these famous guys — their attitude — they never let that bother them. They played, they enjoyed it and they went to the different towns and they spread joy, hope, and fun.”
Students tell me this trip to the Colored Musicians Club will be a lasting lesson.
“I just think it's really good to put ourselves out there and like learn more about our community,” replied Armstrong.
“I'll be grateful that I got to know their legacy and things like that and enjoy their music,” responded Bawuor.
