"We don't need to look to others to solve our problems. We can solve our own problems," said one of the group's members.
Sons of New Bethel, along with a wide range of other local musical and dance acts, performed on Fayetteville Street in Durham all day Saturday for the benefit of the area's Hayti community.
From the 1950s to the 1970s, the Hayti community was home to more than 125 black-owned businesses. But due to displacement at the hands of urban renewal, only eight remained by the 1980s.
The festival featured everything from blues, R&B, rap, reggae and gospel to modern and liturgical dancers after opening with a parade down Fayetteville Street. All revenues were donated to the Rites of Passage program, which mentors young black males as they become adults.
In addition, the Haytian community was formerly reputed as an entertainment mecca, attracting big-name performers such as James Brown and Ike and Tina Turner.
The organizers of Phoenix Fest aim to reclaim this former glory, capturing the mythical bird's spirit of renewal.
The festival was set up conservatively: Fayetteville Street was closed to traffic to provide a makeshift venue, bands played atop a utilitarian stage, and audiences sat on curbs and fold-out chairs in the street. The sound was a bit rusty, broadcast through equipment furnished by blues performer Bobby Hinton from his personal supply.
While the festival lacked professional production, it compensated with plentiful cause and spirit.
When the performers addressed the audience, the crowd responded enthusiastically. People stood and raised their arms in praise whenever one of the many gospel groups praised God.
