The Royalties Project focuses on the Spirituals that are an important part of our faith and our worship. Spirituals, composed by enslaved persons before 1865, are in the public domain, and no royalties are paid for using this time honored music in our churches. This means that, unlike other composers (or their descendants) who receive royalties from the licensing fees our church pays each year, those who carry on the legacy of the Spirituals have never received compensation for their forebearers' work. The Royalties project is about honoring those who composed the Spirituals long ago, and reaching out in the present.
Throughout the year, the UMCE congregation takes a special offering in support of the Royalties Project which benefits young Black students or groups who carry on the African American music experience. At our quarterly “Spirituals Sundays,” we celebrate the gift of Spirituals and learn more about the songs and the culture from which the Spirituals emerged.
The Royalties Project is about remembering, respecting, and helping to heal past injustices. Therefore, to make clear what the project is about, the name, "Towards Healing: Royalties for Spirituals", describes our purpose. It's not our fault for not knowing, but it IS on us to respond!
