PRELUDE Mr. Anthony Foster INTRODUCTION OF SPEAKER Rev. Preston Davis Director of Genesis Gospel Choir SERMONIC SELECTION Rev. Andria Williamson CENTERING PRAYER Mrs. Brittani Hunt Manager of Chapel Programs Director of Multicultural Affairs Strange Fruit

WORDS FROM DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. HPU Students and Staff The poem “Strange Fruit” was written by Abel Meeropool in 1937 and was first sung and recorded by Billie Holiday in 1939. This piece protested American racism and the lynching of black bodies in the south and some northern states at the time. It WELCOME Rev. Preston Davis was not circulated throughout local radio stations as it too vividly spoke the truth of Minister to the University the times. Billie Holiday was also prohibited from including the piece in her performance sets. This song’s deep truth and power has given it persistence through CALL TO WORSHIP Genesis Gospel Choir time, however. The late Dr. James Cone, in his book The Cross and the Lynching Alpha and Omega Tree, employs “Strange Fruit” to explain the resonance between lynchings and the by Israel Houghton cross upon which Christ was crucified.

INVOCATION Ms. Monet Gilmore SCRIPTURE & MESSAGE Rev. Dr. Otis Moss III Student Government Association, Diversity Chair *CLOSING HYMN Genesis Gospel Choir *OPENING HYMN Genesis Gospel Choir Chapel Choir Chapel Choir I Need You to Survive Lift Every Voice and Sing by Hezekiah Walker No. 519 *PASSING OF THE PEACE I need you, you need me. We're all a part of God's body. MORNING PRAYER AND LORD’S PRAYER Ms. Gabrielle Banks Stand with me, agree with me. The Voice Student Advisory Board We're all a part of God's body. It is his will, that every need be supplied. Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. You are important to me, I need you to survive. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. You are important to me, I need you to survive. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as I pray for you, You pray for me. We forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into I love you, I need you to survive. Temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the I won't harm you with words from my mouth. Power and the glory, forever. Amen. I love you, I need you to survive. It is his will, that every need be supplied. You are important to me, I need you to survive. WORD FROM THE BOARD OF STEWARDS Ms. Tessa May Hayworth Chapel Board of Stewards, President *BENEDICTION Rev. Dr. Otis Moss III

OFFERTORY & ANTHEM Genesis Gospel Choir POSTLUDE Ms. Marcia Dills I’m Chasing After You University Organist by William Murphy Words from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by: Ms. Brittani Hunt, Christine Watt, *Please stand, as you are able Jordan Peebles, Brandon Medina, T.J. Foster

Rev. Dr. Otis Moss III Senior Pastor of Trinity ,

As Senior Pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, Illinois, Dr. Moss spent the last two decades practicing and preaching a that unapologetically calls attention to the problems of mass incarceration, environmental justice, and economic inequality.

Dr. Moss is committed to preaching a prophetic message of love and justice, which he believes are inseparable companions that form the foundation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He was recently recognized as one of the “12 Most Effective Preachers in the English-Speaking World” by Baylor University’s George W. Truett Theological Seminary.

A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Dr. Moss is an honors graduate of . He earned a Master of Divinity from Yale Divinity School and a Doctor of Ministry degree from Chicago Theological Seminary. He returned to Yale in 2014 to present the famed Lyman Beecher lectures.

Dr. Moss was named to the inaugural Root 100, a list that “recognizes emerging and established African-American leaders who are making extraordinary contributions.” Honorees range between ages 25 to 45 and their accomplishments and successes transcend media headlines or statistics.

His publications include: Redemption in a Red Light District, and The Gospel According to the Wiz: And Other Sermons from Cinema. His sermons, articles, and poetry have appeared in publications such as Sojourners Magazine and The African American Pulpit Journal.