Mildred Ellis: Music to the Masses

Welcome to Community History 365! CH365 tells stories from Johnson City's rich multicultural history, stories you've probably never heard. This month Dr. Jeremy Smith tells the story of a 20th century trailblazing woman named Mildred Ellis.  Mildred was born in 1906 and lived a couple blocks from Langston School. She went on to travel all over the country teaching, performing, and composing music. She earned an impressive list of accomplishments. A former National Security Advisor once called her "a wonderful, proud African American pioneer. Someone who had helped make the path a little bit easier for all those who came after." This is the story of a Johnson City native who, despite the restraints of segregation, made it big. But there's one particular event that she thought of as the most significant. Listen to find out.  Unfortunately we don’t have recordings of Mildred performing. But as a tribute, in February 2025 the Johnson City Symphony Orchestra, in what is believed to be the world premier, performed Mildred’s original composition called “Keep Singin.” Her work continues to inspire the community where she was raised.---- CH365 is a production of the Langston Centre Media Lab- Host: Karen Sullivan- Producers: Kelvin Scott & Isaac Wood- Writer: Isaac Wood- Mix and Master: Kelvin Scott- Multicultural Engagement Manager for the Langston Centre: Adam Dickson- Thank you to LEAD and to the City of Johnson City’s Parks and Recreation department for supporting Community History 365 - Many thanks to the Community History 365 History Task Force for research assistance, and especially to Dr. Jeremy Smith for the research and editorial assistance that made this episode possible.Recordings- The recording of Dr. Smith was captured at a Langston Centre presentation on January 28th, 2025 - The lyrics for “Lift Every Voice and Sing” were written by James Weldon Johnson. The musical composition used in this episode was written by J. Rosamond Johnson. This recording was performed by the U.S. Army Field Band, 82nd Airborne Division Chorus. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lift_Every_Voice_and_Sing_-_United_States_Army_Field_Band.opus- The instrumental version of “Lift Every Voice and Sing” was played and recorded by Clarence Simpson. The recording was adapted for this podcast episode. Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported 2021. https://ccmixter.org/files/casimps1/63222- Nathaniel Dett composed “In the Bottoms,” and this episode included “Barcarolle,” one of the parts from that five part suite. This recording came from the Petrucci Music Library.  Serenissima Music, Inc., 2023. Creative Commons Attribution 4.0. https://imslp.org/wiki/In_the_Bottoms_(Dett,_Robert_Nathaniel)- The performance of “Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen” was conducted by Josef Pasternack and sung by Marian Anderson. The recording comes from the Library of Congress National Jukebox. https://www.loc.gov/item/jukebox-71990/- The Community History 365 theme song is called “Feels Good to Be” and comes from audionautix.comResearch- Dr. Smith’s article on Mildred Ellis in Appalachian Places added context and details, especially for the Negro Music Festival itself: https://www.appalachianplaces.org/post/a-performance-of-impossibilities-mildred-katharine-ellis- Thank you to the Amistad Research Center for preserving Mildred Ellis’ papers. Episode photo is from Amistad Research Center- Thank you to the Baltimore Afro-American Newspaper for preserving their editions, which provided information on the University of Michigan campus ---Community History 365 is supported by LEAD (Langston Education and Arts Development), a nonprofit created by Langston High School alumni. Seeking to preserve the school building’s integrity, legacy, and historical value, the alumni formed LEAD which helped the building open up as the Langston Centre. This multicultural facility serves the community as part of the City of Johnson City Parks and Recreation Department.