June is the national month to celebrate and recognize black music but it seems like the designated time frame has become less important than previous years. Frequency Magazine evaluated the cultural significance of black music month in their latest issue noting that president “Obama, to date is the first POTUS not to hold (or attend) a public Black Music Month celebration in the White House since Jimmy Carter.”
Music is very powerful… and none more so than Black music.
This is particularly true when one considers the historical legacy of African-descended peoples in America. For as Amiri Baraka beautifully demonstrated in his groundbreaking work, “Blues People: Negro Music in White America,” it is not possible to fully appreciate Black music without first understanding the complex, comprehensive culture of Black people.
Moreover, music is at the very core of Black world culture.
Considered in this context, Black music, then, becomes a critical piece – a link, if you will – in the five centuries-long chain of events that culminated in the transition of a people… from African to African-American.
Click here, for the full article.
