June is Black Music Month

While President Jimmy Carter designated June as Black Music Month in 1979, it wasn’t until 2000 that the presidential proclamation for the month was signed. President Barack Obama, in 2009, went on to rename the month from Black Music Month to its current name, African-American Music Appreciation Month.  The month honors the history and rich African traditions that gave birth to different styles of music, such as Gospel, rap, hip-hop, jazz, rhythm and blues, barbershop, and swing. It is also the month to celebrate creative inspiration and appreciate African-American music’s impact on generations of performers and music lovers!