June is Black Music Month

Celebrating greatness!

In 1979, President Jimmy Carter declared that June would be Black Music Month. The goal was that this would be a month set aside to recognize the incredible influence that Black music has had on the US and the world.

Debrah Hall-McCullon

The month honors the history and rich African traditions that gave birth to different styles of music such as rap, hip-hop, jazz, rhythm and blues, barbershop, and swing. It is also the month to celebrate creative inspiration and appreciate the impact that African-American music has had on generations of performersandmusiclovers!

The origin of Black music is traced back to slavery. Spirituals were one of the earliest forms of musical expression (1619–1865). During the inhumane times of slavery, enslaved people were forbidden to speak their native languages, as owners feared they would plan and share escape routes or seek revenge and rebel.

Black music started to reflect urban environments through amplified sounds, social concerns, and cultural pride expressed through music. It combined blues, jazz, boogie-woogie and gospel taking the form of fast paced dance music withhighlyenergizedguitar work appealing to young audiences across racial divides.