Last spring, the Kuumba Singers of Harvard College performed in a ceremony to honor South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984 for his struggle against apartheid.

“What impressed me even more than your mellifluous voices was the extent of the diversity of your membership,” Tutu soon wrote in a thank you e-mail to the group. “That was such a splendid visual aid!”

It was a sight that would not have existed a decade or two ago. The faces of Kuumba—as well as many of the other cultural- and ethnic-specific artistic groups on campus—have diversified their membership dramatically in the past few years.

According to their original constitution, “the Kuumba Singers were organized in November 1970 as a channel through which black students could direct their creative energies…as a needed source of unity and strength bringing black students together on a regular basis.”

It has been over 32 years, and the once-narrow membership of the organization has expanded its boundaries considerably. Today, five of the 11 acting officers in Kuumba are not black.

In Mizmor Shir, a Jewish a cappella music group affiliated with Harvard Hillel, two of the 12 members aren’t themselves Jewish.

The director of the upcoming Asian American Association Players production is white.

Caucasian dancers are springing up in the Asian American Dance Troupe.

And these changes inevitably spark questions from students inside and outside the group about the effects of such diversity on the groups. The groups also wrestle with issues of how comfortable people feel having traditionally ethnic art forms opened up to a wider range of performers.

While most students emphasize that all the groups try to be welcoming, and that there is truly a sense of community, many still point to underlying racial tensions and discomfort, both within the group and with audiences.

The Push to Diversify

Most Kuumba members firmly assert that their increased diversity is a genuine move towards racial harmony.

Many members further say that within the group, there is absolute unity and openness to the addition of non-black members.

Shelby J. Braxton-Brooks ’03, who has been in Kuumba for two years, says that “in Kuumba, we celebrate black history, and anyone can do that.”

“If you want to learn the music, you want to learn the history of the music, then you’re welcome,” she says.