For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
June 29, 2001
Black Music Month, 2001
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
America's rich musical heritage reflects the
diversity of our people. Among many influences, the cultural
traditions brought to this land from Africa more than four centuries
ago and the remarkable musical achievements of African Americans since
then have strongly and unmistakably improved the sound of American
music. From historical burdens such as
slavery and injustice to the celebration of faith, much of the origin
of African-American music reflects our national story. The
work songs, shouts and hollers, spirituals, and ragtime of an earlier
era laid the creative foundation for many of America' s most
distinctive and popular musical genres. These include rhythm
and blues, jazz, hip hop, gospel, rap, and the roots of rock and roll.
Jazz, often called America's classical music,
so influenced our culture that Americans named a decade after
it. Like the country of its birth, jazz blends many
traditions, such as African-American folk, rhythm and blues, French
Creole classical form, and gospel. Through the creation and
performance of music like jazz, black Americans were better able to
exchange ideas freely across racial and cultural
barriers. Before our Nation made significant strides in
truly promoting equal justice and opportunity for all, black and white
musicians in the genres of jazz, blues, and country played together in
jam sessions, recording studios, and small bands. In many
ways, their art preceded social change, allowing black and white
musicians to meet as equals and to be judged on their musical ability,
rather than the color of their skin. Their music also
provided an outlet for African Americans to speak passionately and
brilliantly to the rest of the Nation and the world.
From New Orleans and the back roads of the
Mississippi Delta to Harlem and Chicago, black musicians set enduring
and distinctive standards for American creativity. The blues
of Ma Rainey and Bessie Smith, the gospel of Mahalia Jackson, the jazz
of Duke Ellington, and the soul of Marvin Gaye claim fans of all ages
from around the world. The trumpeting genius of Louis
Armstrong and Dizzy Gillespie illustrate the exceptional musicianship
so prominent in various genres of African-American music.
The career of Marian Anderson, the world-class
contralto who was denied permission to sing in Constitution Hall
because of her race, symbolizes the achievements of so many black
American musicians. Performing instead at the Lincoln Memorial in
1939, she drew an audience of 75,000 and inspired the world not only
with her rich musical gifts, but also with her determination and
courage.
The music of Marian Anderson and other
African-American artists has greatly enriched our quality of life and
created one of our Nation's most treasured art forms. As
universal and original expressions of the human experience, their body
of work, both past and present, entertains, inspires, and thrills
countless people around the world. NOW,
THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of
America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution
and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim June 2001, as
Black Music Month. I encourage all Americans to learn more
about the contributions of black artists to America's musical heritage
and to celebrate their remarkable role in shaping our history and
culture. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto
set my hand this twenty-ninth day of June, in the year of our Lord two
thousand one, and of the Independence of the United States of America
the two hundred and twenty-fifth.
GEORGE
W. BUSH
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