Carnegie Hall

Aim: How can singing bring people together?
Summary: Students will learn to sing “Kumbaya,” get to know the ring shout, explore social-emotional learning connections, and discover Gullah instruments.
Materials: Musical Explorers digital resources, Musical Explorers Student Guide, everyday objects
Standards: National 1, 2, 4, 6, 10, 11; NYC 1, 2, 3, 4
Vocabulary: Gullah, kumbaya, ring shout

Kumbaya means “come by here” in Gullah. The song asks for help and support to address life’s challenges. It was originally a spiritual and is still sung in Quiana’s church most Sundays. In the 1960s, folk singers like Odetta and Pete Seeger began performing it, and it became both a campfire song and an anthem of unity sung by social activists. Over the years, the song’s message was distorted, a “kumbaya moment” becoming a contrived attempt at group harmony and reconciliation.