June is Black Music Month
June is one of my favorite months for many reasons. The start of summer vacation, choosing to go outside or stay in, BBQs, vacations, Juneteenth, and of course… Black Music Month.
Black Music Month (also called African American Music Appreciation Month) is an annual celebration that falls in the shadows of summer vacation plans and PRIDE. It’s one that isn’t as highly regarded and can be easily overlooked. However, as a black woman who thoroughly enjoys music daily, I cannot let this part of our culture slip by without showing my own appreciation.
Created in 1979, the idea of African American Music Appreciation Month was to celebrate the decades-long contribution African Americans put into creating musical art in the United States. Although it took years for this month to be nationally observed, in this house and on this blog, we celebrate it every year.
Where would the world be without black music and art? Black music brought America culture, inspiration, and storytelling. Through lyricism, beats, and heavy instrumentals, black music has provided many people with the soundtrack of their lives. And although the influence of black music has created a number of different sounds worldwide, black people are not always seen as the faces of what we’ve created. From rock & roll to country to pop, black musicians have always had their hands in cultivating these genres. So Black Music Month is when we rediscover our history in music.
This year to celebrate Black Music Month, each Monday in June, I will take a favorite genre of mine and give a brief synopsis of how black people have helped to cultivate that sound. Then I will tell some of my favorite essential albums from the said genre and discuss how the genre and album have helped to shape my personality. Many of these sounds and artists may be familiar to some, but I hope it would introduce me to some new sounds/albums from black artists also.
I’m very excited to dive into the deep history of black music and share some of my favorite sounds! Please continue to follow along on the journey.
While you wait on the next update, tell me, did you know about Black Music Month? How do you think we should celebrate it?
Please leave your responses in the comment box! I’d love to read them.
Until next time,