But Goff says members came to realize the group's strength lay in its message, not the ethnicity of its membership.

And Delbridge says that the past few seasons have been "golden years" for the group as concerts continued to grow in popularity.

"I think it's just the power of Kuumba," he says. "Its message just touches so many people."

And as 30 years of singers came together on Friday night to celebrate their history, they praised the progress that Kuumba has made while staying true to its purpose.

"The multicultural diversity reflects what is going on in society," Wiley says. "As long as the group continues to lift up what originally got it started, the emphasis on black music and spirit, as long as others want to affirm that, its' a positive thing. It shows the growth of Harvard and of people in general."

Robert Winfrey, who acted as the group's director for 25 years, spoke of the family that Kuumba had created over the years and how the organization had been a home for so many students on campus. It sings at concerts, but also at members' weddings and their relatives' funerals.

"It's a sense of fellowship, sisterhood, brotherhood, family," he said Friday night as he watched members past and present sing "Can't Turn Around," a song they have been singing for 30 years.

He smiled and gestured to tables where other members sat, clapping and swaying back and forth. Henderson stood at the edge of the group singing with his young son in his arms.