The Walls Group and President Larry Robinson
Submitted by Jamine Williams
Two award-winning gospel artists, Fred Hammond and the Walls Group, performed at Florida A&M University’s Lawson Center on Sunday, Oct. 7, to conclude the homecoming festivities..
FAMU presented the gospel concert experience to raise money to provide scholarships for students. All proceeds went to the FAMU Foundation. According to the FAMU website, the foundation is vital to the progress of the university. It functions through its Board of Directors, institutional constituents and community donors.
At the concert, hundreds of people were in attendance to see the different performances and artists. FAMU’s Gospel Choir performed at the concert.
Alexia Ford a sophomore at FAMU, said she joined as a freshman. “I joined because I was already in church and I wanted to meet v other people with the same values as me,” said Ford.
As the night continued the crowd started to grow. People came from the top bleachers to the floor to catch the moment. The concert started at four in the evening and ended at 8 p.m. There were individuals excited and anticipating the Walls Group and Fred Hammond. These award-winning artists came to deliver gospel and Christian music to young adults.
Shortly after the FAMU Gospel Choir’s performance, The Walls Group showed up and out. Their energy level was was so compelling to the atmosphere. According to thewallsgroup.org, this group is a new generation of gifted kinfolks. This group consists of four members: Rhea, Darrel, Paco and Ahjah Walls. They use their singing as a vessel to deliver the good news.
Last but not least, the final performance of the night was by Grammy Award-winning artist Fred Hammond. Hammond is better known as a gifted vocalist, songwriter, musician, arranger and producer who has been in the music industry for 39 years. At the concert Hammond performed songs like “No Weapon,” “Nobody Greater” and “They That Wait.”
“To be in the industry means you can actually be effective and what you do for a living. But going to colleges and universities gives young people hope to say I can do that. It gives hope to this generation to people who are fighting to figure out what life is, to people in despair and to millennials,” said Hammond.
In closing Hammond said, “It is FAMU that's why attending homecoming is important to me. I have a lot of very famous people that came out of FAMU they’re always talking about it. Homecoming is second to none.”