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This collection consists of gospel song books and sheet music, song texts, photographs, and other ephemeral material related to Blondell Hill's participation with choirs in Richmond, Indiana, Petoskey, Michigan, and Harbor Springs, Michigan.

Every Voice and Sing: The Choral Music Legacy of the Historically Black Colleges and Universities is a 5-part series on Black choral music that explores the social/political context of the Civil War/Reconstruction era that brought about the formation of these Historically Black Colleges and Universities and their amazing Singing Groups. The project is collaborative production of EVT Educational Productions, Inc. and JAZZ88.3FM WBGO Radio of Newark, New Jersey. The series was broadcast by over 240 public radio stations.

The collection includes Burnim's dissertation research on African American religious music conducted primarily in Indiana between 1976-1979 with an emphasis on gospel music performance and practice; and post-dissertation research on African and African American religious music conducted between 1980-1996 in the U.S., Cuba, Liberia, and Malawi. Also included is documentation of the 1984 Smithsonian American Folklife Festival and gospel sheet music. The collection was primarily recorded on analog audio formats and includes audiocassettes, open reel tapes, videocassettes, open reel video, slides, sheet music, song texts, and additional documentation.

The collection consists primarily of audiocassette copies of the 26-part radio series Wade in the Water, produced by NPR in collaboration with the Smithsonian Institution, and concieved and hosted by Dr. Bernice Johnson Reagon.