Eastern’s campus will ring with a resounding “hallelujah” Sunday.

In honor of African American Heritage Month, the Office of Minority Affairs will host a Gospel Explosion at 5 p.m. in the Grand Ballroom of the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union.

Area and collegiate gospel choirs, along with a soloist and Eastern’s own Unity Gospel Ministry Choir will perform throughout the event.

The soloist will be Chelsea Waller from Decatur, said Mitze Dunn, chair of African American Heritage Month planning and academic adviser of the Gateway Program.

The United Pentecostal Tabernacle Youth Choir from Charleston, along with the Second Missionary Baptist Choir from Mattoon, round out the area gospels choirs performing Sunday, Dunn said.

Illinois State University’s Interdenominational Youth Choir will also perform Sunday, along with Indiana State University’s Majestic Ebony Choir.

“We’re really excited to host both choirs,” Dunn commented. “Indiana State’s choir has even recorded their own CD.”

With this event, Dunn said that she hopes to get the community involved.

“We always like to see community members at our events,” she mentioned.

Dunn also said that she would like to see people at the event who want to get to “know the Lord.”

“I know that students are hungry to know about the Lord,” she said. “The church and gospel music in general have always been big parts of African American heritage.

Dunn said that after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, more and more people are looking to God for guidance.

“If you don’t know God yet, by the time (the Gospel Explosion) ends, you will,” she said.

Admission to the Gospel Explosion is free and open to the public.