Selah Gospel Choir (SGC) is a Black, queer and women-led community performing arts organization that serves Los Angeles County under the fiscal sponsorship of Fulcrum Arts’ Emerge program, a 501(c)(3) that provides resources, communication services, and other support to artists and cultural organizations to further their artistic endeavors. Founded in September of 2007, SGC has cemented itself as a space for people who want to sing gospel music birthed by the spirit of the Black church and the ancestry of Black community but are either unable to find it in their home place of worship or do not identify with being in a church at all. Gospel music was introduced to the mainstream through the radically unifying activism of the 1960’s Civil Rights Movement. That collectivist spirit is the foundation of our mission to uplift and strengthen our communities through an individual connection by singing inspiring, soul stirring gospel music. Rooted in our mission, SGC’s primary goals are to make gospel music available to all who wish to sing it; improve musicianship among our singers with focus on ear training, music theory, rhythm and movement; and share the good news by making a joyful noise to broad audiences via our bi-annual concerts, community events and various other performing and recording opportunities.

Selah Gospel Choir is not directly connected to any religious organization, yet the religious/spiritual makeup of our singers is broad and inclusive. Our singers are diverse across the identities of race, age, gender, sexuality, ethnicity and ability - and there is no audition requirement to join. It is core to our culture that all who enter our community are welcomed and shown respect AND welcome and show respect to others. Circling around central values such as self-love, intersectionality, and autonomy within community, SGC demonstrates these values as they sing for a purpose greater than themselves and strive to remain authentic to the traditional and contemporary forms of gospel music.

Site Photographs by Dario Dario Griffin