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William L. Dawson’s Legacy of Care

er. He idolized Dawson from afar based on accounts bers as inhabitants looking to you as a leader to teach
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of his greatness from a few friends who had met him. them the power and beauty of their voices.” His work
Hearing a radio broadcast of the Tuskegee Institute with generations of students extended far beyond their
Choir sealed the deal, and Ellison enrolled at Tuskegee singing—he showed them a world in which they were
Institute in 1933. Although he was a trumpet player listened to, valued, and cared for.
and never sang in the choir, he played under Daw- The Covid-19 lockdown of 2020-21 created an un-
son’s direction and took classes from him. As is often precedented situation for educators. Few faced a greater
the case, the real person did not match the fantasy, and challenge in adapting to online teaching than choir di-
Ellison was deeply disappointed that Dawson did not rectors, for whom the shared rehearsal space and bodily
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show him any special favor. Finding Tuskegee equal- immersion in communal sound are so fundamental.
ly disappointing, Ellison left after three years without It was often necessary in those days to prioritize care,
completing his degree. Elements of his bitter experi- flexibility, and student engagement over anything else
ence were fictionalized in his famous novel The Invisible we might ordinarily have centered, including rigor and
Man. depth. Many of us are still in the process of recalibrat-
Ellison was an ambitious but unremarkable musi- ing our approaches. Surmounting the challenges of his
cian; after Tuskegee (and owing in part to his growth time and place to create a choral program for the ages
there) he emerged as a truly exceptional literary figure. at Tuskegee, William L. Dawson offers an exceptional
He and Dawson reconciled and became mutual admir- role model as we strive for the right balance of rigor and
ers. They followed one another’s careers, corresponded supportiveness, firmness and flexibility, professionalism
warmly, and occasionally visited in person. It speaks and care.
well of both of them that they overcame their fraught
history and developed a lasting friendship. Author’s Note: I acknowledge with gratitude the many
Over the years Ellison offered several eloquent people who have contributed to my understanding of
tributes to Dawson, both in formal speeches and writ- the topics in this article. I am especially indebted to Eu-
ings and in informal settings. He told one interviewer, gene Thamon Simpson, whose consistent encourage-
“Dawson was a strict taskmaster, but he made you feel ment, generosity, and frankness were indispensable to
you possessed abilities and potential; but you had to my research and writing on his friend “Bill.” I treasure
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work hard to bring them out.” Dawson’s belief in his his memory. I also thank Joe Williams for his perceptive
students’ capability for excellence was a common fea- feedback on this article.
ture of Ellison’s tributes: Dawson “gave you a sense of
possibility.” On the occasion of Dawson’s 90th birth-
day, Ellison wrote to him in a letter, “You took my ar- NOTES
tistic ambitions seriously…. The discipline and encour-
agement which you provided was far more important Dawson disliked the term “spirituals,” greatly preferring
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in my development than I am able to tell you.” His to call them folk songs (or, more specifically, “religious
words confirm that at base, Dawson’s rigorous peda- folk-songs of the American Negro”). In this article I use
gogy was rooted in profound optimism and care for his “spirituals” for clarity and convenience, meaning no
students’ potential. disrespect to Mr. Dawson’s preference. See Mark Hugh
In the half of his career that followed his 1955 res- Malone, William Levi Dawson: American Music Educator
ignation from Tuskegee Institute, Dawson traveled (Jackson: University Press of Mississippi, 2023), 80–1.
widely, sharing his knowledge and wisdom with fellow Clyde Owen Jackson, “Weaver of the Arts: The William
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choir directors. At the conclusion of one speech, he ex- Levi Dawson Interdisciplinary Method for Teach-
horted his listeners: “Remember we are working with ing Musically Illiterate Young Adult Students,” lecture
young voices; we must make them express their best presented at Tuskegee University, September 21, 2001.
qualities. Think of your choir as a world and its mem- Tuskegee University Archives.

36 CHORAL JOURNAL September 2024 Volume 65 Number 2