BUY TICKETS:"Civil Rights on the Shore: An Evening of History and Song with Dr. Clara Small and Dr. John Wesley Wright, Tenor"
Enjoy an evening with Dr. Clara Small and Dr. John Wesley Wright as we discover and celebrate the Civil Rights movement here on the shore. The Charles H. Chipman Cultural Center, built in 1838, will serve as the backdrop for this event. The Chipman Center is the oldest standing African-American church on Delmarva. Later abandoned as a church, it was purchased by educators, Professor Charles H. Chipman and his wife Jeanette Chipman. They donated the building for use as a cultural center to honor the history and accomplishments of the black community.
Tenor John Wesley Wright holds degrees from Maryville College and the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, where he earned the M.M. and D.M.A. in Performance Studies. A native of Rome, Georgia, he works as Associate Professor of Music at Salisbury University (Salisbury, MD), coordinating the voice and opera workshop programs. An active clinician and leader of workshops on voice production, interpretation, and African American song tradition, he also co-directed the musical theatre program at the Maryland Summer Center of the Arts (2007-2014). Making his Lincoln Center debut in Handel’s Messiah (2017), he has performed solo repertoire ranging from baroque to Broadway throughout the world, including as a member of the internationally celebrated American Spiritual Ensemble. Acclaim has also come as gold medalist of the American Traditions Vocal Competition 2000, with other top prizes from the National Federation of Music Clubs, the Metropolitan Opera National Council, and the International Schubert Competition.
Dr. Clara Small, a local historian who has dedicated her life to telling the story of black Americans from Delmarva. Professor Emeritus at Salisbury University, Small spent 36 years teaching history in courses including World Civilizations, Civil Rights in American Society, African American History and related topics. She is unarguably the region’s foremost scholar on the history of Black America on the Delmarva Peninsula.
Dr. Small has authored or co-authored 8 books. Her work has garnered her acclaim and recognition resulting in numerous awards including:
- University System of Maryland Regents Award for Public Service
- Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore’s Frank H. Morris Humanitarian Award
- The Harriet Tubman Lifetime Achievement Award
Dr. Small has also served as a member of the Maryland Commission on African American History and Culture.
