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The Herald Scotland
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
Trump administration could impact readers, from DEI to book bans
Hazelwood's tour snag sparked a discussion on book communities about how President Donald Trump's recent policies would trickle down to publishing. Amid book banning, border policies, new anti-DEI sentiments and federal library grant cuts, these are the ways the new administration may impact readers. Trump administration's policies shake author tour plans Hazelwood, who is originally from Italy and now resides in the U.S., was booked for several international appearances before she canceled because "it's not possible for me to safely travel outside and then back inside the US," she wrote on Instagram. Canadian bestseller Louise Penny canceled her American tour stops in March because of Trump and "the threat of an unprovoked trade war against Canada" in regards to tariffs, she wrote on Facebook. It's the first time in 20 years Penny has not visited the U.S. on tour: "There are, of course, other things the American president is doing that make visiting the USA unpalatable. Oh, dear. It is so painful to say that," she wrote. But Curtis Chin, the Detroit-based author of "Everything I Learned, I Learned in a Chinese Restaurant," decided to move his tour abroad after several U.S. colleges canceled book talks with him, citing funding cuts from federal arts grants. "Asian American Heritage Month is May, right? So I'm usually booked giving speeches," he says, but not this year. Around the same time, the John Adams Institute in Amsterdam invited him to talk about his book and being a writer of color in the U.S. during the Trump administration. Then, he got booked at Oxford University and the British Library. Soon, he had 21 events abroad in just one month. "Maybe in America we're not ready to talk about these things, but maybe there are other places," Chin says. Still, it comes with a steep financial loss for Chin. He's losing two months of income because his European stops are unpaid opportunities. With U.S. events, he often makes thousands of dollars per event, occasionally up to $10,000. Authors worry about impact of Trump, DEI backslide In Chin's mind, it's not a coincidence that May was the first AAPI Month he wasn't fully booked with speaking engagements. He also worried about June's Pride Month, another typically busy month for him. His shift to international engagements, he says, feels reminiscent of historical movements of artists of color to Europe to evade discrimination, like James Baldwin and Josephine Baker. "In some small way, I'm in that same tradition where the things that we're writing, the things that we're creating are facing these extraordinary scrutiny and challenges," Chin says. Trump has not issued a proclamation for Pride Month, instead starting June with several actions undermining gains for LGBTQ+ Americans. And though Trump did formally recognize AAPI Month as past presidents have, his efforts to purge DEI practices led major companies like Disney, IBM and Goldman Sachs to publicly scrap DEI initiatives. The majority of organizations have "simply gone quiet" on DEI, according to past reporting from USA TODAY. And in early May, Trump fired longtime Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden, the first Black American and first woman to head the library, because of her "pursuit of DEI." Hayden had been leading the "Of the People" initiative to bring more works from Black, Indigenous, Hispanic or Latino, Asian American and Pacific Islander and other communities of color into the library's collections. Books typically take between two and three years to publish. If publishers follow in the suit of major companies turning away from - or staying silent - on DEI, we may not see the effect until years down the line. "It actually occurred to me, maybe I should hold off and wait until Trump is out of office before I try to sell my book because I don't know if publishers are afraid of publishing books by people of color. Because maybe there's a perception that these books may be banned, these books may not be bought by libraries," Chin says. "But then I thought to myself, I can't be afraid." Grant cuts threaten libraries, public spaces for readers In March, Trump issued an executive order that terminated dozens of federal grants held by libraries, archives and museums. The Institute of Museum and Library Services, one of those agencies, distributes millions of dollars in congressionally approved funds to libraries across the country. A federal judge has since blocked the Trump administration, but uncertainty about the state of funding means some libraries have already abandoned programs and implemented hiring freezes. The administration's termination of grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the National Endowment for the Arts also impacts authors and academics. Michigan Humanities, the state affiliate of NEH, was left with a $900,000 budget loss after the cuts, according to the Detroit Free Press. One shuttered program is Great Michigan Read, which "engages 300 organizations in all 83 counties," according to the organization's president and CEO. This year, Chin was the recipient of the annual grant, which would normally buy around 6,000 copies of Chin's book and send him on a 15-city tour of the state. Then he got word that the program could not proceed because of the funding cuts. The rollback is particularly devastating to Chin because, growing up in Detroit and Ann Arbor, he didn't see himself represented in the books in his classrooms and libraries. "That's why we write, because we want to be seen and we want to help other people navigate their lives, right?" Chin says. "They're denying us an audience because they don't like what we have to say. They don't like our vision of the country. But, I would argue that our vision of the country is a loving vision of America. It's an open, embracing vision of America." The publishing world's most influential voices are also speaking out. Before the judge blocked Trump's executive order to eliminate IMLS funding, four of the Big Five publishers - Hachette, Macmillan, Penguin Random House and Simon & Schuster - as well as Sourcebooks, called on Congress to reject the order. And at this year's PEN America Literary Gala, actress and SJP Lit imprint founder Sarah Jessica Parker said she was "enraged" at threats to libraries and librarians across the country. "To censor books is to limit imagination, curiosity, connection, empathy and inspiration. Libraries aren't just buildings with shelves, they are a beacon," Parker said. "They are warm in the winter and cool in summer, and they are sanctuaries of possibility. They are the heartbeat of a neighborhood." Book banning continues in libraries, classrooms A late March order by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth led to 400 books being removed from the U.S. Naval Academy's library to "comply with directives outlined in executive orders issued by the president," according to a statement from a Navy spokesperson reported by The New York Times. Most of the banned titles - a ban is any restriction on access, according to the American Library Association - discuss race, gender or sexuality. Books embraced by white supremacists, like "Mein Kampf," "The Camp of Saints" and "The Bell Curve" remained on the shelves. One ongoing Supreme Court case, Mahmoud v. Taylor, appears likely to rule that parents can opt their children out of classroom books that include representations of gender and sexuality that go against their religion. The Trump administration agrees with the parents. PEN America has filed an amicus brief in support of Thomas W. Taylor, the respondent in the case representing Montgomery County Public Schools. In a press release, the organization warned a ruling in favor of the parents could "turbocharge the already dire state of book bans and educational censorship." "An opt-out would chill freedom of speech for students, teachers and authors and would constitute viewpoint discrimination, raising core First Amendment concerns," PEN America's Chief Legal Officer Eileen Hershenov said in the release. "Both legally and practically, this would deny students access to diverse literature that spurs empathy, understanding and prepares them for lives in a pluralistic society." Clare Mulroy is USA TODAY's Books Reporter, where she covers buzzy releases, chats with authors and dives into the culture of reading. Find her on Instagram, subscribe to our weekly Books newsletter or tell her what you're reading at cmulroy@
USA Today
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Trump administration could change the way we read, from book bans to author talks
Trump administration could change the way we read, from book bans to author talks Show Caption Hide Caption US schools banned 10,000 books last school year alone It's Banned Books Week in the U.S. and it comes as we're learning more than 10,000 books were banned in public schools nationwide last year. Straight Arrow News Despite the international buzz over her latest romance novel "Deep End," author Ali Hazelwood told fans she had to cancel her U.K. book tour. In a social media post, the bestselling romance author who was born in Italy cited border concerns with leaving and reentering the U.S., mirroring concerns from tourists, noncitizens and visa and green card holders about the Trump administration's recent deportation and border actions. Hazelwood's tour snag sparked a discussion on book communities about how President Donald Trump's recent policies would trickle down to publishing. Amid book banning, border policies, new anti-DEI sentiments and federal library grant cuts, these are the ways the new administration may impact readers. Trump administration's policies shake author tour plans Hazelwood, who is originally from Italy and now resides in the U.S., was booked for several international appearances before she canceled because "it's not possible for me to safely travel outside and then back inside the US," she wrote on Instagram. But Curtis Chin, the Detroit-based author of "Everything I Learned, I Learned in a Chinese Restaurant," decided to move his tour abroad after several U.S. colleges canceled book talks with him, citing funding cuts from federal arts grants. "Asian American Heritage Month is May, right? So I'm usually booked giving speeches," he says, but not this year. Around the same time, the John Adams Institute in Amsterdam invited him to talk about his book and being a writer of color in the U.S. during the Trump administration. Then, he got booked at Oxford University and the British Library. Soon, he had 21 events abroad in just one month. "Maybe in America we're not ready to talk about these things, but maybe there are other places," Chin says. Still, it comes with a steep financial loss for Chin. He's losing two months of income because his European stops are unpaid opportunities. With U.S. events, he often makes thousands of dollars per event, occasionally up to $10,000. Authors worry about impact of Trump, DEI backslide In Chin's mind, it's not a coincidence that May was the first AAPI Month he wasn't fully booked with speaking engagements. He also worried about June's Pride Month, another typically busy month for him. His shift to international engagements, he says, feels reminiscent of historical movements of artists of color to Europe to evade discrimination, like James Baldwin and Josephine Baker. "In some small way, I'm in that same tradition where the things that we're writing, the things that we're creating are facing these extraordinary scrutiny and challenges," Chin says. Trump has not issued a proclamation for Pride Month, instead starting June with several actions undermining gains for LGBTQ+ Americans. And though Trump did formally recognize AAPI Month as past presidents have, his efforts to purge DEI practices led major companies like Disney, IBM and Goldman Sachs to publicly scrap DEI initiatives. The majority of organizations have "simply gone quiet" on DEI, according to past reporting from USA TODAY. And in early May, Trump fired longtime Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden, the first Black American and first woman to head the library, because of her "pursuit of DEI." Hayden had been leading the "Of the People" initiative to bring more works from Black, Indigenous, Hispanic or Latino, Asian American and Pacific Islander and other communities of color into the library's collections. Books typically take between two and three years to publish. If publishers follow in the suit of major companies turning away from – or staying silent – on DEI, we may not see the effect until years down the line. "It actually occurred to me, maybe I should hold off and wait until Trump is out of office before I try to sell my book because I don't know if publishers are afraid of publishing books by people of color. Because maybe there's a perception that these books may be banned, these books may not be bought by libraries," Chin says. "But then I thought to myself, I can't be afraid." Grant cuts threaten libraries, public spaces for readers In March, Trump issued an executive order that terminated dozens of federal grants held by libraries, archives and museums. The Institute of Museum and Library Services, one of those agencies, distributes millions of dollars in congressionally approved funds to libraries across the country. A federal judge has since blocked the Trump administration, but uncertainty about the state of funding means some libraries have already abandoned programs and implemented hiring freezes. The administration's termination of grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the National Endowment for the Arts also impacts authors and academics. Michigan Humanities, the state affiliate of NEH, was left with a $900,000 budget loss after the cuts, according to the Detroit Free Press. One shuttered program is Great Michigan Read, which "engages 300 organizations in all 83 counties," according to the organization's president and CEO. This year, Chin was the recipient of the annual grant, which would normally buy around 6,000 copies of Chin's book and send him on a 15-city tour of the state. Then he got word that the program could not proceed because of the funding cuts. The rollback is particularly devastating to Chin because, growing up in Detroit and Ann Arbor, he didn't see himself represented in the books in his classrooms and libraries. "That's why we write, because we want to be seen and we want to help other people navigate their lives, right?" Chin says. "They're denying us an audience because they don't like what we have to say. They don't like our vision of the country. But, I would argue that our vision of the country is a loving vision of America. It's an open, embracing vision of America." The publishing world's most influential voices are also speaking out. Before the judge blocked Trump's executive order to eliminate IMLS funding, four of the Big Five publishers – Hachette, Macmillan, Penguin Random House and Simon & Schuster – as well as Sourcebooks, called on Congress to reject the order. And at this year's PEN America Literary Gala, actress and SPJ Lit imprint founder Sarah Jessica Parker said she was "enraged" at threats to libraries and librarians across the country. "To censor books is to limit imagination, curiosity, connection, empathy and inspiration. Libraries aren't just buildings with shelves, they are a beacon," Parker said. "They are warm in the winter and cool in summer, and they are sanctuaries of possibility. They are the heartbeat of a neighborhood." Book banning continues in libraries, classrooms A late March order by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth led to 400 books being removed from the U.S. Naval Academy's library to "comply with directives outlined in executive orders issued by the president," according to a statement from a Navy spokesperson reported by The New York Times. Most of the banned titles – a ban is any restriction on access, according to the American Library Association – discuss race, gender or sexuality. Books embraced by white supremacists, like "Mein Kampf," "The Camp of Saints" and "The Bell Curve" remained on the shelves. One ongoing Supreme Court case, Mahmoud v. Taylor, appears likely to rule that parents can opt their children out of classroom books that include representations of gender and sexuality that go against their religion. The Trump administration agrees with the parents. PEN America has filed an amicus brief in support of Thomas W. Taylor, the respondent in the case representing Montgomery County Public Schools. In a press release, the organization warned a ruling in favor of the parents could "turbocharge the already dire state of book bans and educational censorship." "An opt-out would chill freedom of speech for students, teachers and authors and would constitute viewpoint discrimination, raising core First Amendment concerns," PEN America's Chief Legal Officer Eileen Hershenov said in the release. "Both legally and practically, this would deny students access to diverse literature that spurs empathy, understanding and prepares them for lives in a pluralistic society." Clare Mulroy is USA TODAY's Books Reporter, where she covers buzzy releases, chats with authors and dives into the culture of reading. Find her on Instagram, subscribe to our weekly Books newsletter or tell her what you're reading at cmulroy@
USA Today
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
How the Trump administration could change the way we read, from book bans to author talks
How the Trump administration could change the way we read, from book bans to author talks Show Caption Hide Caption US schools banned 10,000 books last school year alone It's Banned Books Week in the U.S. and it comes as we're learning more than 10,000 books were banned in public schools nationwide last year. Straight Arrow News Despite the international buzz over her latest romance novel "Deep End," author Ali Hazelwood told fans she had to cancel her U.K. book tour. In a social media post, the bestselling romance author who was born in Italy cited border concerns with leaving and reentering the U.S., mirroring concerns from tourists, noncitizens and visa and green card holders about the Trump administration's recent deportation and border actions. Hazelwood's tour snag sparked a discussion on book communities about how President Donald Trump's recent policies would trickle down to publishing. Amid book banning, border policies, new anti-DEI sentiments and federal library grant cuts, these are the ways the new administration may impact readers. Trump administration's policies shake author tour plans Hazelwood, who is originally from Italy and now resides in the U.S., was booked for several international appearances before she canceled because "it's not possible for me to safely travel outside and then back inside the US," she wrote on Instagram. But Curtis Chin, the Detroit-based author of "Everything I Learned, I Learned in a Chinese Restaurant," decided to move his tour abroad after several U.S. colleges canceled book talks with him, citing funding cuts from federal arts grants. "Asian American Heritage Month is May, right? So I'm usually booked giving speeches," he says, but not this year. Around the same time, the John Adams Institute in Amsterdam invited him to talk about his book and being a writer of color in the U.S. during the Trump administration. Then, he got booked at Oxford University and the British Library. Soon, he had 21 events abroad in just one month. "Maybe in America we're not ready to talk about these things, but maybe there are other places," Chin says. Still, it comes with a steep financial loss for Chin. He's losing two months of income because his European stops are unpaid opportunities. With U.S. events, he often makes thousands of dollars per event, occasionally up to $10,000. Authors worry about impact of Trump, DEI backslide In Chin's mind, it's not a coincidence that May was the first AAPI Month he wasn't fully booked with speaking engagements. He also worried about June's Pride Month, another typically busy month for him. His shift to international engagements, he says, feels reminiscent of historical movements of artists of color to Europe to evade discrimination, like James Baldwin and Josephine Baker. "In some small way, I'm in that same tradition where the things that we're writing, the things that we're creating are facing these extraordinary scrutiny and challenges," Chin says. Trump has not issued a proclamation for Pride Month, instead starting June with several actions undermining gains for LGBTQ+ Americans. And though Trump did formally recognize AAPI Month as past presidents have, his efforts to purge DEI practices led major companies like Disney, IBM and Goldman Sachs to publicly scrap DEI initiatives. The majority of organizations have "simply gone quiet" on DEI, according to past reporting from USA TODAY. And in early May, Trump fired longtime Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden, the first Black American and first woman to head the library, because of her "pursuit of DEI." Hayden had been leading the "Of the People" initiative to bring more works from Black, Indigenous, Hispanic or Latino, Asian American and Pacific Islander and other communities of color into the library's collections. Books typically take between two and three years to publish. If publishers follow in the suit of major companies turning away from – or staying silent – on DEI, we may not see the effect until years down the line. "It actually occurred to me, maybe I should hold off and wait until Trump is out of office before I try to sell my book because I don't know if publishers are afraid of publishing books by people of color. Because maybe there's a perception that these books may be banned, these books may not be bought by libraries," Chin says. "But then I thought to myself, I can't be afraid." Grant cuts threaten libraries, public spaces for readers In March, Trump issued an executive order that terminated dozens of federal grants held by libraries, archives and museums. The Institute of Museum and Library Services, one of those agencies, distributes millions of dollars in congressionally approved funds to libraries across the country. A federal judge has since blocked the Trump administration, but uncertainty about the state of funding means some libraries have already abandoned programs and implemented hiring freezes. The administration's termination of grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the National Endowment for the Arts also impacts authors and academics. Michigan Humanities, the state affiliate of NEH, was left with a $900,000 budget loss after the cuts, according to the Detroit Free Press. One shuttered program is Great Michigan Read, which "engages 300 organizations in all 83 counties," according to the organization's president and CEO. This year, Chin was the recipient of the annual grant, which would normally buy around 6,000 copies of Chin's book and send him on a 15-city tour of the state. Then he got word that the program could not proceed because of the funding cuts. The rollback is particularly devastating to Chin because, growing up in Detroit and Ann Arbor, he didn't see himself represented in the books in his classrooms and libraries. "That's why we write, because we want to be seen and we want to help other people navigate their lives, right?" Chin says. "They're denying us an audience because they don't like what we have to say. They don't like our vision of the country. But, I would argue that our vision of the country is a loving vision of America. It's an open, embracing vision of America." The publishing world's most influential voices are also speaking out. Before the judge blocked Trump's executive order to eliminate IMLS funding, four of the Big Five publishers – Hachette, Macmillan, Penguin Random House and Simon & Schuster – as well as Sourcebooks, called on Congress to reject the order. And at this year's PEN America Literary Gala, actress and SPJ Lit imprint founder Sarah Jessica Parker said she was "enraged" at threats to libraries and librarians across the country. "To censor books is to limit imagination, curiosity, connection, empathy and inspiration. Libraries aren't just buildings with shelves, they are a beacon," Parker said. "They are warm in the winter and cool in summer, and they are sanctuaries of possibility. They are the heartbeat of a neighborhood." Book banning continues in libraries, classrooms A late March order by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth led to 400 books being removed from the U.S. Naval Academy's library to "comply with directives outlined in executive orders issued by the president," according to a statement from a Navy spokesperson reported by The New York Times. Most of the banned titles – a ban is any restriction on access, according to the American Library Association – discuss race, gender or sexuality. Books embraced by white supremacists, like "Mein Kampf," "The Camp of Saints" and "The Bell Curve" remained on the shelves. One ongoing Supreme Court case, Mahmoud v. Taylor, appears likely to rule that parents can opt their children out of classroom books that include representations of gender and sexuality that go against their religion. The Trump administration agrees with the parents. PEN America has filed an amicus brief in support of Thomas W. Taylor, the respondent in the case representing Montgomery County Public Schools. In a press release, the organization warned a ruling in favor of the parents could "turbocharge the already dire state of book bans and educational censorship." "An opt-out would chill freedom of speech for students, teachers and authors and would constitute viewpoint discrimination, raising core First Amendment concerns," PEN America's Chief Legal Officer Eileen Hershenov said in the release. "Both legally and practically, this would deny students access to diverse literature that spurs empathy, understanding and prepares them for lives in a pluralistic society." Clare Mulroy is USA TODAY's Books Reporter, where she covers buzzy releases, chats with authors and dives into the culture of reading. Find her on Instagram, subscribe to our weekly Books newsletter or tell her what you're reading at cmulroy@
Indianapolis Star
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Indianapolis Star
After 3 straight runner-up finishes, Westfield enters IHSAA boys golf state final round up 6 shots
CARMEL – Eminem is Westfield's middle ground. When the Shamrocks can't decide between golf coach Josh Bryant's preference of Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre or the 'newer guys,' as Bryant called them, the players and coach settle with listening to the Detroit-based rapper. However, after a team victory, there's no settling, no discussion. "Tsunami" by DVBBS and Borgeous booms from the team bus speaker. The Shamrocks are 18 holes away from blasting the popular electronic dance song from Prairie View Golf Club in Carmel back to Westfield as the IHSAA boys golf state champions. After shooting 5-over-par as a team on the front nine, Westfield made six birdies and an eagle on the back nine to finish even on the day in round one of the boys golf state championship Tuesday. When the Shamrocks finished their opening round, reigning champions Zionsville were two strokes behind Westfield with three holes remaining. The Buffalo Bills of IHSAA golf? Westfield coach has lighthearted approach to runner-up finishes More: Some of Indiana's top HS golfers won't be at state meet — by their own choosing. Here's why Zionsville bogeyed the eighth hole and double-bogeyed the ninth to finish the day +6. The Eagles went +9 on the front nine after a stellar back nine where they made 3-under-par. Westfield enters Wednesday with a six-shot lead and their sights set on a state title after finishing runner-up three straight years. 'The difference in back nine was that we settled in,' Bryant said. 'That early stretch on the back nine shooting four straight birdies and, of course, finishing. You can't count on finishing 5-under on the last three holes. But we talk a lot about championship-winning teams finishing even on the last three holes. They play those last three holes even, and they oftentimes win. 'There are a lot of thoughts around two-day tournaments that, 'You can't win the tournament on the first day, but you can lose it.' We wanted to approach it more, 'Let's treat each day as its own tournament and win both days.'' Before Tuesday's round, Bryant informed his team the course was scoreable due to its moisture, which allowed balls to be easily marked, cleaned and replaced to ensure a good lie. He believes his players took advantage of the course's condition once they relaxed. The Shamrocks, whose team scoring average is 1-over-par on the year, began to rely more on placement golf on the back nine rather than making an 'emotional decision,' Bryant said. A team that usually attacks golf courses, Bryant applauded seniors Jake Cesare and Will Harvey for using their experience and 'stepping up' to help guide Westfield through the final holes. Harvey and Cesare (-3) are tied for third in individual standings heading into Wednesday, two shots behind leaders Luke Johnston (Evansville North) and Brycen Tisch (Zionsville). The two were on the Westfield teams that finished second the past three years. 'You need your senior leaders. They've been here, and whether they knew they had to or not, their momentum carries the team forward. This is their fourth year, and let's be frank, at an average golf tourney you're not going to have more than mom, dad and a couple of friends,' Bryant said. 'Now you come up to the first tee, your name gets announced and you have 500 people on the green at states. That's a feeling you can't simulate. So, with experience, you begin to understand what you are up against. "Friday nights in December, the gym is packed for basketball and the environment is similar when you reach sectionals. In golf, there's nothing like the environment at states.' The atmosphere at state influenced Bryant's message to the team after the first round. Bryant stood in the center with Westfield players huddled around him just outside the 10th hole and told them that winning a championship requires great composure. Bryant noticed a difference in his players' body language and the pace at which they walked and conversed on the back nine. He also credited the support of the 25 Westfield golfers in attendance for the Shamrocks' being front runners for the state championship. After last year's second place finish, Bryant said, "If you keep knocking on the door, at some point, the door is going to open.' Replicate Tuesday's performance on Wednesday and the fourth knock does it. That 'door' finally opens. 'Tomorrow, we take it hole by hole, shot by shot and control what we can control,' Harvey said. 'This group is definitely good enough. We play our game tomorrow, I don't think anybody touches us.'
Black America Web
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Black America Web
A Legacy of Faith: How The Winans Family Revolutionized Gospel
Source: Music has seen its fair share of familial legacies, from the Jacksons to the Clark Sisters and the Hawkins family. However, in the world of gospel music, The Winans Family has long been heralded as the 'First Family of Gospel.' The Winans family stands as one of gospel music's most influential dynasties, leaving an indelible mark on the genre through their exceptional talent, innovation, and spiritual impact. For decades, this Detroit-based family has not only dominated gospel charts but also crossed over into mainstream recognition, expanding the reach of gospel music to new audiences. The family's musical roots started with David Winans Sr., lovingly known as 'Pop' Winans. His love of music began at an early age, singing with a local soul group, The Nobelaires, and joining the Lucille Lemon Gospel Chorus. He met his future wife, Delores (a.k.a. 'Mom' Winans), while in the Chorus. Despite putting their own musical aspirations on hold for over 30 years once they started having children, Mom & Pop made sure that their love for God and music was passed on to their kids…and it paid off. The family's musical imprint on the charts began with brothers Marvin, Carvin, Ronald, and Michael, collectively known as The Winans. Their groundbreaking sound blended traditional gospel with contemporary R&B influences, creating soulful harmonies that resonated far beyond the church. Albums like Tomorrow and Return earned them commercial success and accolades, including multiple Grammy Awards. Their ability to modernize gospel without compromising its spiritual essence ushered in a new era for the genre during the 1980s and 1990s. STAY INFORMED! CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER! Notably, BeBe and CeCe Winans, the younger siblings, emerged as a formidable duo. With hits like 'Close to You' and 'Addictive Love,' they seamlessly merged gospel with pop, carving out their own space in music history. They were among the first gospel artists to receive considerable airplay on secular radio, broadening the audience for spiritually-infused music. The duo has also found success as solo artists. CeCe, in particular, has become the best-selling female gospel artist of all time, selling over 19 million records worldwide. She is also the most-awarded female gospel artist, with 17 Grammys, 31 Dove Awards, and 19 Stellar Awards among other honors. RELATED STORY: The Winans Honored with the Agape Award at 'A Night of Inspiration' RELATED STORY: CeCe Winans Wins Big at the 2025 Grammy Awards While The Winans and BeBe & CeCe are the most commercially known groups within the family, several other members have found musical success. Sisters Angie & Debbie, brothers David II and Daniel, and even Mom & Pop Winans have all received critical and fan acclaim for their respective careers. The Winans' influence continued through the next generation. Marvin's son, Marvin Winans Jr., and the group known as Winans Phase 2 carried forward the family tradition. Meanwhile, CeCe's son, Alvin Love III, has made his mark as a songwriter, further contributing to the family's music ministry. Beyond their music, the Winans' legacy is deeply rooted in their commitment to faith and uplifting others. Their songs of hope and redemption have inspired millions worldwide, making them not just artists but beacons of spirituality in the industry. Through decades of innovation and unwavering devotion, the Winans family has transformed gospel music, ensuring their legacy endures as a testament to excellence, faith, and family unity. Their contributions have forever redefined the genre, securing their place as gospel royalty. LIKE US ON FACEBOOK . FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM & TWITTER . SUBSCRIBE TO OUR YOUTUBE . STAY INFORMED! CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER! HEAD TO THE HOMEPAGE SEE ALSO
