This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Amid the flurry of media attention given to soprano Jan Chamberlin's resignation from the Mormon Tabernacle Choir to protest the famed musical group's participation in Donald Trump's inauguration, another LDS singer quietly posted a Facebook video explaining why she plans to go.
Cristi Brazao, one of only a handful of blacks in the 360-voice troupe, didn't vote for the Republican president-elect but does support the decision to accept Trump's invitation.
"My mission, as a singer, has always been to soften hearts, bridge gaps," Brazao, a Mississippi native, said in the video, "and also make friends."
She spoke of the legendary Marian Anderson, a classically trained black contralto who performed at two presidential inaugurations during a time that she had to enter her own concerts through a back door reserved for blacks.
"Jesus Christ associated with prostitutes, liars and thieves, but he didn't endorse what they were doing," Brazao said. "My mission is one of love, peace and hope and I want to share that with others, even in the face of ridicule because that's what Jesus did."