“Research is out there that talks about how music education expands your ability in other areas: language development, math, social skills, it is just an all around positive thing." - Joseph Fox, Co-founder of the Helen L. Fox Gospel Music Center. Learn more about the Helen L. Fox Gospel Music Center

They brave the heat in wheelchairs and walkers, and hold signs visible to passing cars that read, “Racial Justice Now”, “Black Lives Matter,” or “End Gun Violence.” 

“I've grown up my entire life usually being one of few, if not the only black person in a classroom…I've never once felt my heritage celebrated in my music classes... It would be ideal to change that, because I am by no means alone in that sort of sentiment.” - Tré Bryant

“Allyship isn’t like a video game where you are completing quests and gathering experience points until you reach the rank of master ally. Instead it is more like improving your batting average. You have multiple opportunities every day at the plate, and what determines whether you're going to hit that ball or strike out, is how much practice have you put in.” - Hazel James, executive director of Queer Theatre Kalamazoo. 

“The work that I’ve been doing is to help people in the community to see this as more than just a skill that people need to acquire, but more like a right that everyone should have." - Kalamazoo Literacy Council Executive Director Michael Evans.