By Princess Yeboah | Assistant Editor
Photo from MWCC
A capella singers went above and beyond by introducing essential black history to Mount Wachusett Community College Community on February 26, 2025 at 12:30 P.M. The performance, “And Now I See: Race, Racism, and American Music” was shown by a men’s a capella group, Ball in the House. They hospitably embraced the community with tunes originally sung by black singers and the history behind them such as “Hound Dog”, (Originally by Big Mama Thorton and sung by Elvis), “A Change is Gonna Come”, (Originally by Sam Cooke sung by Bob Dylan) “My Girl” and “This Little Light of Mine.”
Director of Student Life Director Kathy Matson and student life employees Mayra Alaniz Andrade and Marcus Campbell are the faces behind this event. “I first saw [Ball in the House] when I was at an NAPCA conference, and immediately knew that I wanted to bring them here…We advertised it early, because they’re just an amazing group” says Mathson. Mathson wanted to make sure this event was known throughout the community, which is why a flyer could be spotted just about anywhere on campus.
Ball in the House is located in Boston but is not strictly confined to just Boston. They have been making music ever since 1997, and most notably have opened for some famous artists including The Temptations, The Jonas Brothers, Smokey Robinson and Lionel Richie.
The a capella group not only gifted the community with their voices, but also shared important history tied to profound songs we know and love today. Group member Wallace Thomas an African-American shared an incident in which he was the target of racism. While the group was staying at a hotel, staff questioned Thomas, demanding to know what he was doing there.
“Right here and right now we all have to dedicate ourselves to being anti-racist.” Actively using our [voices] to combat racism,” Thomas says in his message during a performance to the community.
Matson also adds that bringing in Ball in the House to MWCC was essential in spreading awareness for Black History Month. “We opened it to the community. And I think it does bring people together, because they’ve got a really great message.” Andrade sees Ball in the House as a great benefit to increase the communities awareness saying, “It’s so important to bring awareness about our traditions and just all traditions as a whole, and everyone’s welcome to enjoy.”
Students in response had much to say about what the event means for them. Crystal Monahan, an Art major says, “this is a primarily [white community] and we don’t learn enough about people who are not white or straight. It’s a learning experience… I want to learn more about the people around me and the people I don’t get to meet all the time.” Student Jahzara Desravines had a special connection to the event. “The event really [dissected] the history behind black people in America, and opened my eyes to see how black artists were able to use music to express themselves.”And fittingly, the group ended the performance with the classic, “Man in the Mirror” by Michael Jackson. The song’s message is to look at yourself and not other things to make a change. This really resonated deeply with the band. Ball in the House’s musical touch on the community is an impact that will stand the test of time here at MWCC.
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