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The NAACP Celebrates a Century in Toledo with Three Mo’
Tenors
By Fletcher Word
Sojourner’s Truth Editor
“Normally they don’t do
fundraisers and normally they don’t do halls,” says Ray
Wood, president of the Toledo branch NAACP. On October 24,
however, a new normal will arrive as the esteemed group,
Three Mo’ Tenors, perform at the Stranahan Theater and Great
Hall in order to assist the local NAACP celebrate of 100
years of service to the greater Toledo area.
Three Mo’ Tenors are a
trio of classically-trained opera singers who have woven a
variety of musical genres into their concerts – opera,
gospel, jazz, soul, pop, Broadway and spiritual. The group
was formed in the late 1990’s as a spinoff of the original
Three Tenors – Luciano Pavarotti, Placido Domingo and Jose
Carreras – who had gained world-wide fame as they ventured
from their operatic roots and incorporated a wide range of
music into their many concerts and records.
Broadway performer, writer
and director Marion Caffey determined that such a formula
would work for African-American performers as well and
founded the Three Mo’ Tenors group which has cast a light on
about a dozen black tenors since the first concert in 2001.
The current trio consists
of Victor Robertson, Phumzili Sujolu and Duane Moody.
Wood is understandably
proud of the fact such stellar entertainers will be in town
to help spotlight a century of work by the local NAACP
branch in its struggle to achieve equal rights for those in
minority communities.
Toledo was one of the
first cities to organize a chapter of the NAACP with the
help of then Mayor Brand Whitlock, activist Ida B. Wells and
national organizer W.E.B. DuBois.
Wood has led the branch
for the last two years and the hundred-year birthday party
is a perfect opportunity to highlight his staff and board’s
efforts to get the organization moving forward. He arrived
in the top local office realizing that he was faced with
challenges.
“We are trying to
re-engage the organization,” he says. “Throughout the years,
there have been hits and misses with the NAACP locally in
the area of civil rights.”
In order to re-engage,
Wood and the current board are focused on two areas of
concern as they strive to move the organization.
First, says Wood, it’s
important to get the faith-based community re-committed to
the cause. Ministers, he believes, can use the power of the
pulpit to aid in addressing critical issues such as racial
profiling, housing problems, lead paint poisonings.
Secondly, the organization
wants to get youth and young adults more involved. “They are
our future but there has been a disconnect with them and our
chapter,” he admits. “They want to be engaged and they
realize that f they can get involved, they can see immediate
results from their participation. They are passionate and we
have some intelligent, articulate young people.”
The NAACP has recently
been conducting meetings which bring in young adults in
order to gauge their enthusiasm for becoming active in
community affairs.
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