Jubilee Singers key to McKinley music program

In fall 1925, students at McKinley Junior High School took part in a musical collaboration that reflected both the educational priorities and racial realities of the era. That November, the school’s Jubilee Singers joined the Girls’ and Boys’ Glee Clubs for an operetta built around Civil War-era songs. During the same program, the Jubilee Singers also performed spirituals rooted in African American musical traditions.

Contemporary accounts praised the ensemble’s musical skill, noting the intensity of their performances, their ability to maintain harmony, and the richness of their sound. School leaders saw the group not only as a successful student ensemble, but as a potential foundation for a broader civic chorus, one that could contribute to the city’s cultural life beyond the classroom. There was particular pride in the idea that these students might serve as future musical leaders within the community.

Organized in 1925 under the direction of Miss Harriet Elliott, the Jubilee Singers became a separate club within McKinley’s music program. At the time, McKinley was reportedly the only school in the city to support an ensemble of this kind. The group was made up of Black students from multiple grade levels.

Leadership later passed to Miss Coastworth, under whom the chorus continued to gain visibility. The students performed for visiting educators and musicians, including Lawrence Jones and singers from the Piney Woods School in Mississippi. These appearances underscored the chorus’ role not only as a school activity, but as a meaningful cultural presence within the wider educational community.

Tara Templeman is curator at The History Center. Comments: curator@historycenter.org