Black Music Month(s)
Jimmy Carter's heart was no doubt in the right place when, at the urging of songwriter and record producer Kenny Gamble, he declared June 1979 to be the inaugural Black Music Month. And George W. Bush, unlike most of his predecessors, has taken special interest in the event by throwing White House parties and issuing proclamations such as this on an annual basis since 2000: "During Black Music Month we recognize the outstanding contributions that African-American singers, composers, and musicians have made to our country, and we express our appreciation for the extraordinary music that has enriched our Nation."
We don't really need a Black Music Month, of course. And as I poked around online looking for interesting observances to point to, I was struck by what a non-event it actually was, presidential proclamations notwithstanding. Only BlackAmericaWeb.com's series on "20 People Who Changed Black Music," which continues today with a tribute to "Revolutionary Poet Gil Scott-Heron, the First Rap Rebel," jumped out at me. The site's other black music changers include Teddy Pendergrass, Miles Davis, Nina Simone, Michael Jackson, and former Motown Chairman Clarence Avant. The tributes only demonstrate the obvious: Black music is ubiquitous, a necessary component of nearly every American musical style since the first Africans arrived (involuntarily) in Jamestown nearly four centuries ago, and an integral part of our cultural DNA. Try going a month without it and see for yourself.