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WASHINGTON - Thirty-seven years ago twenty boys gathered in the basement of a Harlem church for the first rehearsal of what would eventually become the Boys Choir of Harlem. Today, the organization is one of America's greatest musical institutions and Harlem's ambassadors to the world. By the end of the month, if some agreement cannot be reached with the Department of Education, the Boys Choir of Harlem as an institution will be homeless, evicted from the Choir Academy School it has occupied for thirteen-plus years.
Like so many injustices that harm children, the youngsters who comprise the Boys' and Girls' choirs will pay a terrible price for mistakes made by adults. In a city and nation where the lives of children are treated so cheaply and where so little priority is given to education by our national leaders, it is a disgrace that this brilliant center of learning, creative and academic achievement should be snuffed out because adults who run things couldn't agree. If we're serious about education, we must do better than that.
That modest ensemble that started in a church basement has grown over the years to now include more than l25 members of boys' and girls' choirs. Hundreds of its members have graduated over the years, and as many as 90 percent have attended college. The results are what you might expect from the best private schools attended by well-off middle class students. But these students are from low-income homes in our community, who have benefited from caring leadership, challenging academics and the inspiration of the musical creativity.
The Boys Choir of Harlem is a community treasure as much as the Apollo Theatre whose stage they have graced many times. But the Choir does not just belong to Harlem. Because of the ability of the gifted students and the devoted teachers who mold their talents, they are recognized as a national treasure deserving of the international acclaim which they have received. They have performed for royalty, in the greatest concerts halls around the world and for U.S. presidents at the White House.
Over the years, the Choir has experienced a number of operational, managerial and financial set-backs and as a result has been unable to raise the funds necessary to meet its contractural obligations with the New York City Department of Education as well as financial obligations with other entities. If the necessary funds cannot be raised and arrangements made to meet the various obligations the result will be the eviction of the Boys Choir from their headquarters buildings.
If evicted, the Choir will be downgraded to an after-school program which would almost certainly be a death-knell to the status they have earned over the past thirty five years. In addition, the 400 students who attend the Academy but are not members of the choir will lose the benefit of choral instruction and counseling services provided by the Boys' Choir's staff.
In the past week, many leaders of our community and supporters around the city have expressed their strong support and willingness to help the Boys Choir regain its prominence, particularly in the area of its leadership. After thoughtful consideration, I (former Mayor David Dinkins) have agreed to serve as Chairman of the newly reconstructed board of directors of the Boys Choir of Harlem, Inc. We are on a path to meeting the Choir's financial needs, contractural obligations, and management restructuring.
We are not out of the woods yet. But I am confident that success is within reach. Everyone I've spoken to about this situation agrees that these young boys and girls should not be punished for the failures and mistakes of adults.
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