As a musician, teacher and community activist during the 20th century in the American South, Mr. Othello Rue Wilson changed the course of many lives and enhanced a school system hampered by Jim Crow laws. This project will encompass the preservation and archiving of Othello Wilson's work and memorabilia during his career; and that of the Musical Arts Choir, which he founded and served as director for over 30 years. Historical materials include album recordings; concert programs and other documents; and several photographs and videos; that need to be preserved in a presentable and sustainable assembly. The journey which started in the Virginia communities of Salem, Hampton, and Massies Mill, and traversed across North America and Europe has been captured in the documentary, “Othello Wilson: Let Your Light Shine”. Further production of the documentary and archival project will exhibit not only the biographical sketch of Mr. Wilson, but also the influence and serious discipline of the negro spiritual, how educational awareness and activism shaped a community, the significance of religion in schools in the early 20th century, and the results of spontaneous and interracial social assemblies during a sensitive time in America’s history.
Learn More: http://www.othellowilson.com