Fracturing the Black Nucleus: Reflections on School Desegregation in Texas Through the Lens of Black Orchestra Students
by Tzefira Jones and Elizabeth Chappell
Centering the voices and experiences of Black string musicians supported by historical context was our main priority when writing this article. We first considered Karen McAfee as a prospective interview subject because of her prominent career as a Texas orchestra director. As we learned more about Karen’s unique high school orchestra experience at Dunbar in Lubbock, we added Joe and Ruby, who also attended Dunbar and participated in Texas All-State Orchestra. Although our fourth participant did not attend Dunbar and was born well after the other participants, Dawn Oyedipe’s perspective was vital to the article. Dawn shared her isolating experience as one of the only Black string players in her school orchestra and All-State ensemble. The age of our participants was integral to a significant takeaway from the article. Karen and Dawn’s experiences were twenty years apart, which opened the opportunity to explore the results of integration over time. We initially thought there would be an increase in representation after the full integration of music competitions; however, the opposite was true.
The idea of the “Black nucleus,” introduced by Ruby Braxton, resonated strongly with us and became the theme that united our participants. The concept provided a historical understanding of segregated schools that illustrated the strong community building that occurred despite the bigotry of the associated laws. In an interview, Ruby shared her perspective on integration initiatives:
“ I was introduced to a lot of people that I wouldn’t have normally been introduced to. [W]hen you get out into the world, you’re not in a Black school or a white school, or any kind of other school, you’re just out in the world. I think that now the schools are much different. Sometimes I wish that we had that Black nucleus but it's just not the same way.”
Both Ruby and Joe noted that the former predominantly Black schools declined over time after integration. They recalled how Black teachers and students were transferred out of Black schools and into predominantly white schools. They felt as if the Black community had been fractured. The concept of a dissolving Black Nucleus tied neatly into the connections we made between the participants' experiences and historical evidence. A final common thread of the interviewees was that of gratitude. At the close of each interview, they each shared how proud they were to see a Black woman sharing the voices and histories of Black musicians. Through sharing these stories and reflecting on their experiences, we hope to rebuild the Black nucleus in string education.
Personal Reflections
As a Black woman who participated in Texas orchestra programs since early childhood, I often felt othered because I rarely saw myself reflected in orchestra settings. Those experiences are what led me to become a music educator. When Elizabeth suggested co-authoring this article, I felt called to be a voice for myself, my students, and anyone who has felt as though there wasn’t a place for them in orchestra. A hope is this article will be one of many that bring more Black voices to the forefront of string education research. -Tzefira
When Tzefira and I were working on this article, neither of us had been to Lubbock and I would have never guessed that I would be a Lubbock resident now. Happily though, I am. Since my transition to the faculty at Texas Tech, I have learned that community outreach is a priority at the university and my duties include directing a community string program with several satellite locations. Among these is a new violin program at a recreation center primarily serving African American and Latino children. The center is run by stakeholders in the community who provide homework support and diverse classes in art and music. When I am there, I am reminded of Ruby’s description of the Black nucleus. The priority of the center is to provide a high-quality, well-rounded education for students which seems to have fostered a strong sense of pride in the community. I am pleased that our violin class is included in this program, and I feel fortunate that I get to witness it first-hand. - Elizabeth
Follow the link to access the voices of the interviewees and more information on African American oral traditions. Tzefira Jones, “Fracturing the Black Nucleus: The Podcast,” April 29, 2021, in Not Another PhD Podcast, 30:13, https://anchor.fm/phd-podcast/episodes/Separate-and-Unequal-The-Podcast-evv0q3.
Article Details
Fracturing the Black Nucleus: Reflections on School Desegregation in Texas Through the Lens of Black Orchestra Students
Tzefira Jones, Elizabeth Chappell
First Published April 13, 2022 Research Article
DOI: 10.1177/15366006221081884
Journal of Historical Research in Music Education
About the Authors
