New Openness for the Barbershop Harmony Society

            Interest in barbershop singing has faded over the last century. The Barbershop Harmony Society is still around however and has just “[welcomed] women to join… as members (Flanagan).”  NPR covered this groundbreaking announcement in their article After 80 Years, The Barbershop Harmony Society Will Allow Women to Join (https://www.npr.org/2018/06/20/621603558/after-80-years-the-barbershop-harmony-society-will-allow-women-to-join)The BHS, which started as an “all-male — and all-white — organization at the time of its founding in 1938 (Flanagan),” only began accepting African-American members “in 1963, as the country was living within the crucible of the civil rights movement (Flanagan).” The group decided to begin allowing women to join after “the results of a three-year soul search undertaken by the BHS, during which it conducted membership surveys, studies and research on its aims, which yielded a broad platform: "Everyone In Harmony"(Flanagan).”

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