Jubilee Singers Receive National Medal of Arts

The Fisk Jubilee Singers were given one of the nation’s highest honors today.

The National Medal of Arts is given each year to no more than 12 artists; this year’s class of nine includes actress Olivia de Havilland, the Jose Limon Dance Foundation, comic book writer Stan Lee, and the Jubilee Singers. The ensemble performed at the White House before recieving the award from President Bush.

The Jubilee Singers are credited with introducing the world to the traditional spirituals once sung by African-American slaves. The group formed in 1871 to raise funds for the school, and has been a fixture at Fisk ever since.