The news was broken recently that Columbia is considering pulling the plug on its amazing Center for Black Music Research and Chicago Jazz Ensemble. Side by side these two unique organizations have been preserving, promoting, and producing music created by African-American community for decades. While this recommendation has been made public, it has not been set in stone. I urge you all to write some letters, send some emails, and make some calls to let the folks at Columbia know that you feel that these institutions are too valuable to the study of American history and culture to be discarded. There really aren’t other similar collections and ensembles in existence that can match the work that these two do. I have been told that the most important people and departments to reach out to are as follows:

• Columbia College Office of the Provost 
  600 S. Michigan, Rm. 517 
  Phone: (312) 369-8022 
  
  
• Harwood , Theodore 
  Assistant to the Provost, Office of the Provost 
  600 S. Michigan, Rm. 501 
  Phone: (312) 369-7496 
  tharwood@colum.edu 
  
  
• Love , Louise 
  Vice President for Academic Affairs, Academic Affairs 
  Interim Provost, Office of the Provost 
  600 S. Michigan Ave, Suite 501 
  Phone: (312) 369-7495 
  Fax: (312) 369-8466 
  llove@colum.edu