UMES Gospel Concert Protest Video Goes Viral: Student Rebukes B. Slade and Her Mic Is Cut, Faith-and-Inclusion Debate Follows University Apology
At the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) in Princess Anne, in Somerset County, Maryland, a homecoming gospel concert on November 1 ended in a viral confrontation: Nkemjika Ikemefuna, a graduate student serving as a student emcee, took the stage after singer B. Slade performed to protest his appearance, and her microphone was cut off mid-speech. Phone video of the moment spread quickly on social media. The university has apologized to the performers and attendees, and Delmarva Public Media published follow-up interviews with several students involved on November 9, as the debate over faith and inclusion continued on and beyond the campus.
The concert lineup that night featured Tye Tribbett, B. Slade and Preston Jonzell. B. Slade is a Grammy-nominated gospel artist and an openly gay singer. On stage, he said he could praise God in a bussdown, a slang term in the African American community for a long, sleek hairstyle. Ikemefuna, an active member of the faith-based Hawk Ministry on campus, said in the viral video: "So if you guys call yourselves Christian, and you approve of that man coming on stage wearing a wig, saying you can praise Jesus in a bussdown." She also said that what B. Slade was portraying as Christianity is not what the Bible says and goes against the word of God.
Ikemefuna's microphone was then cut off. In its statement, UMES said that on November 1 a graduate student serving as a student emcee made comments that may be perceived as derogatory to the LGBTQIA+ community, that the university does not condone hate speech of any kind, and that it apologized to performers Tye Tribbett, B. Slade and Preston Jonzell as well as to event attendees, adding that respect and inclusivity are important values to the UMES community. The university said the situation was being reviewed and that appropriate actions would be taken, and it published a counseling services number for students affected. According to Delmarva Public Media, when asked about the protocol for cutting off a student's microphone during a university-sponsored event, the university declined to comment.
In the follow-up interview published on November 9, Ikemefuna said she had felt it was someone's responsibility to go up and say something about what was happening. She said Hawk Ministry members had discussed what to say and how to say it, but that exactly what she said was her own personal conviction. She said her Christian beliefs are incompatible with homosexuality and certain forms of LGBTQ+ expression, and that she interpreted the microphone cutoff as being prevented from speaking her religious beliefs. Responding to Tribbett's remarks about her, she said she appreciated his acknowledgement of her courage, and that in her view delivery should not be the main topic of discussion; the main topic should be whether what she said was truth.
Gospel singer Tye Tribbett, who took the stage right after the incident, told the audience: "Ways matter. And if you love a person, how you address it will come out in the ways." He later spoke about the incident on the radio show The Morning Hustle, saying he admired the young woman's boldness, courage and stance for what she believes is righteousness and holy, and quoting the Bible that he that wins souls is wise. He also said that underneath a sin is a soul, a real person who may have been hurt and may have acted out of pain.
Another UMES student, Caron Littaker, is a practicing Christian and a member of the LGBTQ+ community. He posted his views on TikTok, where his original video has garnered more than 15,000 views and has been shared across other social media platforms. He said that, as a Christian who is gay, he found what Ikemefuna said at the gospel concert disgusting. He said people could be going through suicidal thoughts, and that you never know what somebody went through when they were younger to make them come out this way or do anything.
According to Delmarva Public Media, some people it spoke with said the incident creates an opportunity for a real conversation exploring the complex relationship between the Black church community and the LGBTQ+ community, while whether the two communities are ready for that conversation is another story. As of November 9, the university had not announced the outcome of its review of the incident.
Source: Delmarva Public Media
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 马里兰大学东海岸分校学生服务中心资料图（Honors Lane摄，CC BY-SA 3.0，经Wikimedia Commons；非演唱会现场图）
