Woman Interrupts UMES Gospel Concert to Protest B.Slade’s Performance

An unidentified woman took the stage at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore's homecoming gospel concert on Sunday, November 1, and rebuked organizers and concertgoers for welcoming B.Slade, an openly gay, Grammy-nominated gospel singer. Her remarks came after his performance with members of the university's gospel choir. The microphone went silent while she was still speaking, and Mary Mary's "Go Get It" began playing over the sound system.

Woman reads from Scripture before addressing the crowd

Footage shared online shows the woman reading from 1 Corinthians 5:9-12 before questioning the audience's Christian beliefs. She directed her criticism at people who had welcomed B.Slade to the stage and singled out the wig he wore during his performance. "You're going against the Word of God," she told the crowd.

The woman's identity remains unconfirmed. A search of the university's public homecoming materials and coverage of the incident turned up no statement from UMES addressing the interruption.

B.Slade shared the stage with the UMES Gospel Choir

B.Slade, whose name is Anthony Charles Williams II, first became known to gospel audiences as Tonéx. His recording of "Make Me Over Again" remains one of his best-known songs. The Grammy-nominated singer came out publicly as gay in 2009 and later performed under the name B.Slade. At UMES, he sang alongside students from the campus gospel choir before the woman took the microphone.

The concert, held at the Ella Fitzgerald Performing Arts Center in Princess Anne, Maryland, opened the university's November 1-8 homecoming celebration. Multi-Grammy winner Tye Tribbett and gospel singer Preston Jonzell were also on the bill, which featured both the UMES Gospel Choir and the UMES Alumni Choir.