- Harvard University AIDS Awareness
Week is generally the first week of December. From 1993 through 1996
GospelFest brought together gospel musicians from within the Harvard community
(The Kuumba Singers, Harvard Divinity School Choir, Harvard Graduate
School of Education Choir, and Under Construction Christian Choir, to name
a few), as well as several gospel choirs from nearby universities.
The GospelFest serves as a reminder and commemoration of World AIDS Day
and AIDS Awareness Week. GospelFest didn't take place in 1997 but
we hope that it can be organized in future years.
The central idea of the festival is to provide an environment in which members of the Harvard community can acknowledge the presence of AIDS in its midst and begin both the personal and community healing process--that is, we hope
to create a place from which to draw strength, generate love, and discover
new ways to support one another. Gospel is the chosen medium because it
represents a purely American art form in an age when many Americans choose
to doubt America. The participatory nature of gospel music brings people
together, and its joyous sound is capable of recognizing pain and suffering
as well as remembrance and renewal. 
The originality and success of Gospelfest stems from its combination of "artists": the blurring of the distinction between "musician" and "audience." The primary goal of the Gospelfest Planning Committee is to increase undergraduate involvement and attendance--the committee recognizes the need to encourage undergraduate participation in events and education surrounding the AIDS virus.
Our event has a ripple effect throughout campus and into Boston: individuals who are affected by the concert will share their experience with others; the sense of love, togetherness, and compassion generated at the event will affect each person's daily life and therefore will be shared with others. The past four GospelFests have proven to be successful in helping people acknowledge the virus, remember friends and relatives who have suffered from it, and discover a renewed sense of commitment to fighting AIDS through love, awareness, and caring.
GospelFest was founded by Reverend Carol A. Johnson, MDiv '98, and has received significant support from The Harvard University Arts Committee on AIDS, The Harvard Gay & Lesbian Caucus and The Open Gate - A Fund for Gay & Lesbian Life at Harvard University.
Members of the Harvard/Radcliffe Community who are interested in working with the GospelFest Planning Committee may contact Reverend Johnson at (617) 427-8840 or by clicking here to send her an e-mail message.