As its name suggests, “Undivided,” an R&B group on campus, amplifies a diverse group of voices across campus. Fully chartered in November, the group has made strides to continue building and fostering a community of artists while keeping their doors and arms wide open for all.

Precious Ademokun, the group’s president and one of its music directors, and Chinemerem (Mira) Emenogu, the vice president and another music director, caught up with Pipe Dream, describing the work they’ve done over the past year and some new initiatives and projects the organization has begun.

“When you come to Undivided, because we are multicultural and have so many different cultures within, it’s supposed to be a safe space for everyone,” Emenogu, a sophomore majoring in philosophy, politics and law, said in an interview.

The organization was founded in October 2022 to cater to those within the multicultural community who want to share their vocal abilities while focusing on cultural music beyond mainstream genres. Most recently, Undivided members have performed alongside other campus groups like the Black Student Union and Black Dance Repertoire. They also performed singing telegrams on Valentine’s Day.

Expanding their presence off campus, members went to the American Legion at the start of Black History Month to sing “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” a song often referred to as the Black national anthem. They made an appearance at SHADES’ Sex Carnival on Saturday and said they were looking forward to collaborating with the Charles Drew Minority Pre-Health Society again later this spring.

Ademokun, a sophomore majoring in political science, said one of the organization’s central goals has been to hold a spring showcase so that they could perform numbers they have been working on and improving upon throughout the year. Undivided’s second-ever showcase will be held in Old Union Hall on April 19.

Now that Undivided is fully chartered by the Student Association, a “weight has been lifted” off their shoulders, Ademokun said, adding that the lack of a budget for unchartered organizations can create challenges.

“It means a lot that we’ve taken the [organization] this far, and it shows that we have an impact on the campus, which is really nice,” Ademokun said.

Emenogu said that they were proud to continue the work started by the organization’s founders, especially as sophomores taking on the immense responsibility of leading the group.

Undivided’s social media features a range of segments like “Artist of the Month,” where they feature artists to educate people on the culture surrounding R&B. They now include mashups of two songs by the selected artist and have members sing them, and this month’s featured artists are Coco Jones and Lauryn Hill.

They also have a segment called “Voice Unfiltered,” which sees members moving around to interview different people, asking them questions about music and artists, including their artist of the month. For instance, in the newly released fourth episode, they asked people on campus, “If they could have dinner with three R&B artists, who would they be and why?”

“I feel like this year has really been cementing tradition, because last year a lot of things were done for the first time, and we’re really getting into the groove,” Emenogu said.

Each year embraces a different theme. Following last year’s “Trail We Blaze” campaign, which paid homage to past music and artists, this year’s is “Make Your Mark,” which celebrates individuality. The artists of the month reflect these themes as they choose a new and an old artist to demonstrate how older icons have inspired the work of more modern-day idols.

Emenogu said they do not shy away from approaching people, even strangers, to market their organization. Taking advantage of club fairs and other campus events, they have continued to spread the word about Undivided.

The group ensures everyone feels safe in their space and strives to include R&B-focused education as part of their programming, giving them a unique presence among musical groups on campus, Ademokun added.

“We’re not just a music group — we also try to involve creating community and teaching people about R&B,” Ademokun said.

The club has members comprising their performance group in addition to members who prefer not to perform. Ademokun and Emenogu both emphasized how critical all of their members, 29 now, are to their organization’s success, both onstage and off.

As she works to move the organization forward, Emenogu added that efficiency has grown within the group’s E-Board as they learn to “work together and really move as a machine.” Ademokun reflected on the challenges faced since joining the club as a first-year student, noting that it taught her a lot about forming and building a community. During divided times, both noted the role of music in creating common ground.

“We are a source of unity,” Ademokun said. “And that’s what music has been for a really long time. It’s a method of unification for people.”