Celebrating Black Music Month

"Music does a lot of things for a lot of people. It's transporting, for sure. It can take you right back, years back, to the very moment certain things happened in your life. It's uplifting, it's encouraging, it's strengthening."- Aretha Franklin

My love of music is not new to many of you who frequently read this blog and I take many opportunities to highlight the impact of music in my life. This month we celebrate Black Music and the influence it has on our collective culture. 

Here is a little history … In June 1979, President Jimmy Carter declared June Black Music Month. It would take until 2000 for that proclamation to be signed, and another 9 years until President Barack Obama changed the name to African American Music month. Many of the current music styles today have been created by and influenced by incredible Black musicians - Rap, Hip Hop, Jazz, and the Blues are the more popular known styles. What you may not know is that the Banjo was created by Appalachian African Americans and has influenced many styles of music. Many say Country music would not be what it is today without the Banjo. There are many more examples of the ways in which these artists, then and now, have directly contributed to the music we are all familiar with. What other creations or influences from African American musicians do you know of? Share with us on Instagram so we can all be educated on the positive impact these artists have on music today!

Our staff team has prepared a playlist of some of our favorite African American musicians … send us your favorites so we can add them to the playlist. 

In community, 

Jennifer Bauer-Lyons, Executive Director