Harmonizing Change: A Case Study of Social Justice History at the School of Music, Theatre & Dance (SMTD) at the University of Michigan

This project explores and documents the history of student and faculty advocacy within the School of Music, Theatre & Dance (SMTD) at the University of Michigan. Harmonizing Change examines the past achievements that resulted from student and faculty activism for increased diversity in SMTD curricula, using Willis C. Patterson, Professor Emeritus of Voice and former Associate Dean, as a central case study.

Hired as the first Black professor in the Department of Voice in 1968, Patterson was a pivotal figure in advancing racial equity at SMTD both institutionally, and through his support of students. Through archival research, oral histories, and public engagement, Harmonizing Change highlights the contributions of underrepresented groups to social justice advocacy within SMTD.

 

Project Goals

This site is structured around several collections, each of which will lead you through a facet of past social justice work at the University of Michigan's School of Music, Theatre, and Dance (formerly the School of Music). The project seeks to spark questions such as:

  • How has SMTD, through the influence of leaders like Willis C. Patterson and the advocacy of its students, addressed representation in its programming, curriculum, and faculty hiring?
  • What strategies have succeeded in promoting inclusion, and what challenges remain?
  • What stories of marginalized voices within SMTD need to be told and amplified?

 

As you explore, we encourage you to use the questions found in each collection's description to engage in conversations about where we've been and how we want to grow as a school.

 

 

Explore the Collections:

  • BIPOC Platforming
    BIPOC Platforming
    Beyond expanding the classical music repertoire that was available for performance and study, Patterson was also invested in creating opportunities and spaces for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) artists and scholars at the University of Michigan. He platformed BIPOC artists and scholars primarily through the King/Chavez/Parks (KCP) Visiting Professorship program and through his efforts to host the 1985 Black American Music Symposium, a conference that brought together Black scholars, composers, and artists to network and discuss Black classical music. Arguably, his work with students also constituted BIPOC platforming—see the Supporting Students collection for further materials. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: What difficulties arose for Patterson as he worked to create more opportunities and events for BIPOC artists and scholars? Would the same difficulties be faced today? What are the benefits to addressing racial justice and equity by focusing on platform creation (as opposed to focusing primarily on repertoire expansion, direct reparations, or other such efforts)? RELATED COLLECTIONS:
  • Administration
    Administration
    Patterson served as associate dean for academic affairs for the majority of his time at the University of Michigan, from 1979 to 1998. In this role, he was a firm advocate for students of color, serving on the Advisory Committee for Graduate Minority Affairs and participating in the Student Research Opportunity Program (SROP). He brought several scholars, performers, and composers of color to the School of Music through the King/Chavez/Parks (KCP) Visiting Professorship. Additionally, he contributed to national organizations such as the National Black Music Caucus. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: What means of advocacy are available to those in administrative positions that are less accessible to those strictly in the artistic or academic realms? What avenues are not available? What are the benefits and drawbacks to advocacy pursued through administrative positions? What values and responsibilities might influence the pursuit of social justice goals by administrators? RELATED COLLECTIONS:
  • Artistry
    Artistry
    Before and after joining the School of Music’s faculty, Patterson maintained an active performance career as a bass classical singer. His artistic pursuits expand beyond what is represented in this collection, which primarily focus on elements of his artistry connected to his scholarly interests and social justice goals such as on-campus concerts featuring the work of Black composers and guest performances with the Fisk Jubilee Singers. Also included in this section is an excerpt from his self-published memoir The Saints Among Us that details the importance of the Ann Arbor Black community and Black performers to his development as an artist. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: How can artistic pursuits incorporate social justice-oriented values? When pursuing artistry as activism, what limitations and benefits exist? What role do institutional or community values play in artistic decision making? RELATED COLLECTIONS:
  • Activism
    Activism
    Many forms of civil rights activism took place on the University of Michigan’s campus during Patterson’s tenure as a professor and administrator. He began at the university in 1968, during the Civil Rights Movement. Soon after he joined the faculty, the Black Action Movement (BAM) strikes took place in 1970. BAM’s extended campaign to spur racial equity on campus was one of the most successful student strikes in history. Patterson was not an active participant in faculty efforts to support BAM, despite his other ongoing efforts to support Black students. To provide a glimpse of the BAM strikes, the Activism collection includes materials from the Bentley Library’s Madison Foster papers (include link to finding aid?). Madison Foster was a professor in the School of Social Work who advocated for fellow Black faculty members to get involved to support BAM. Additionally, the Activism collection includes an early letter to the editor likely written by Patterson under a pseudonym. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: Why might Patterson have avoided participating in BAM strike support efforts? How might recent strikes and actions on the University of Michigan’s campus—such as the GEO strike of 2023 or the Gaza solidarity encampment on the Diag in 2024—inform our analysis of his choice? How should we balance doing wider coalition-based advocacy and more local (i.e., within the School of Music) efforts? RELATED COLLECTIONS:
  • Supporting Students
    Supporting Students
    Patterson intentionally supported students of color, especially Black students within the music school, through a variety of means. He advised the Minority Music Students Association, sat on the Advisory Committee for Graduate Minority Affairs, and participated in the Student Research Opportunity Program (SROP), an initiative that connected racially marginalized undergraduate students to research positions on faculty projects. Even before he officially began at the university, he was lobbying for the admission and financial support of talented young Black singers with whom he had previously worked. Off campus, he founded Our Own Thing, a youth music initiative for Black students in Ann Arbor. He also encouraged students within the School of Music (later SMTD) to learn about and perform the works of marginalized composers. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: How did Patterson’s engagement with music students interact with wider efforts towards social justice in the School of Music and the University of Michigan? What are the perks and pitfalls of fostering social justice/DEI through direct engagement with student initiatives? RELATED COLLECTIONS:
  • Expanding the Rep
    Expanding the Repertoire
    In all areas, Patterson sought to expand classical music’s repertoire past its traditional, conservative limits. His two published Anthologies of Art Songs by Black American Composers (1977 and 2002) are perhaps the most concrete example of this expansion. However, his mission also informed his teaching, coordination of symposia and concerts, and efforts to bring visiting scholars and artists to campus. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: Out of all of Patterson’s wide-ranging efforts to diversify the classical repertoire, which do you believe had the capacity to be the most influential? Do these modes still have the same potential for impact today? What might have to be adjusted in order to successfully implement Patterson’s strategies at SMTD today? What can we learn from his work to expand the repertoire, and what should be left in the past? What concerted efforts to expand the classical repertoire are ongoing at SMTD? How are they similar or different from these archival examples? RELATED COLLECTIONS:
  • Scholarship
    Scholarship
    As a University of Michigan professor, Patterson pursued research and publication projects about Black American composers and musicians, as well as performance projects to amplify the results of his scholarly work. Projects of particular note include the Black Art Song Series (1977–1978), a concert series coordinated with the Eva Jessye Afro-American Music Collection; two published anthologies of Art Songs by Black American Composers (1977 and 2002); and the Black American Music Symposium (1985) that brought together Black scholars, composers, and artists to network and collaborate. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: How does scholarly work contribute to social justice advocacy? What are the limitations of scholarly approaches to issues of injustice? What are the benefits? Does scholarship contribute to social justice causes strictly by focusing on topics related to those causes? Can methodology also contribute to advocacy? RELATED COLLECTIONS: