Senate Resolution No. 2214
BY: Senator WEBB
MEMORIALIZING Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim
June 2026, as Black Music Month in the State of New
York
WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to recognize and
pay tribute to those who seek to preserve and celebrate the musical
heritage of our State and Nation; and
WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its
long-standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to
memorialize Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim June 2026, as Black Music
Month in the State of New York, in conjunction with the observance of
National African American Music Appreciation Month; and
WHEREAS, African American Music Appreciation Month is an annual
celebration of African American music in the United States, commemorated
with special performances and multi-day festivals in musical genres
ranging from soul to jazz to gospel to hip-hop throughout the Nation;
and
WHEREAS, Observation of Black Music Month was initiated on June 7,
1979, by President Jimmy Carter, who decreed that June would be the
month of Black music; since then, American presidents have continued the
practice and, for each year of his term, former President Barack Obama
announced the observance under a new title, African American Music
Appreciation Month; and
WHEREAS, America's diverse musical heritage is a reflection of the
creativity and optimism of our Nation; during Black Music Month, we
celebrate the breathtaking talents and creativity of African-American
vocalists, instrumentalists, and composers whose achievements have
shaped our national culture and enriched our communities; and
WHEREAS, For the entire span of our Nation's history, African
Americans have created music that communicates across racial and social
boundaries, giving voice to the full range of human experience; and
WHEREAS, During African Americans' involuntary servitude, music
often served as a means of expressing the inexpressible; when facing the
cruelty of slavery and injustice, spirituals brought a sense of comfort;
and
WHEREAS, These timeless declarations of hope and faith evolved into
the more modern genres of gospel, blues, ragtime, and jazz, expressed in
the musical genius of Scott Joplin, Marian Anderson, Eubie Blake, and
Mahalia Jackson; during the Civil Rights era, African American musicians
such as Duke Ellington, Muddy Waters, and Ruth Brown conveyed the
struggles of their communities while bringing people of all backgrounds
together; today, this music continues to inspire America's citizens and
advance its creative spirit; and
WHEREAS, Throughout the course of American history, Black musicians
have used their great talents to share the richness of the African
American experience and to develop a uniquely American style of music
enjoyed throughout the world; in June 2026, we honor the pioneers of
African American music along with today's artists who continue their
legacy; and
WHEREAS, From Ella Fitzgerald making history as the first Black
woman to win a Grammy in 1958, to "Fight For You," the Academy Award
winning best original song in the movie "Judas and The Black Messiah" in
2021, the historic success of Black artists continues to leave its mark
in communities, and we are reminded every day that Black Lives Matter;
and
WHEREAS, New York is the birthplace of many diverse artists and
musical movements that have shaped and cultivated Black Music across all
genres and generations; and
WHEREAS, A local component, the Harlem Renaissance, was the name
given to the cultural, social, and artistic movement that took place in
Harlem between the end of World War I and the middle of the 1930s;
during this period, Harlem was a cultural center, drawing Black writers,
artists, musicians, photographers, poets, and scholars; and
WHEREAS, The Bronx is home to hip-hop, a cultural movement which
formed during the late 1960s among African American youth residing in
the South Bronx in New York City; hip-hop legends who hail from the
Bronx include KOOL DJ Herc, Grandmaster Melle Mel, and Kurtis Blow; and
WHEREAS, Queens, and in particular the neighborhoods of St. Albans,
Addisleigh Park and Jamaica, were the traditional home to an entire
spectrum of musical pioneers and legends, including Count Basie, Lena
Horne, Ella Fitzgerald, Illinois Jacquet, James Brown, Milt Hinton,
Cootie Williams, John Coltrane, Charlie Parker, Nasir Jones, and Russell
Simmons, among so many others; and
WHEREAS, New Yorkers such as MC Lyte, Talib Kweli, DJ Beverly Bond,
Bob Law, John Coltrane, Sheila L. Brown, and Andre Langston have made
outstanding contributions to Black Music and culture, whose exemplary
talents and legacies are integral in positively shaping the lives of our
residents and beyond; and
WHEREAS, Events which provide a means of preserving a part of our
rich American past and which contribute to the community in such noble
endeavors as aforementioned, are held in the highest regard by this
Legislative Body; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
memorialize Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim June 2026, as Black Music
Month in the State of New York; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to The Honorable Kathy Hochul, Governor of the State of New
York.
