Senate Resolution No. 2692
BY: Senator CLEARE
COMMEMORATING the Centennial Anniversary of the
purchase of the New Amsterdam Musical Association's
headquarters building on June 25, 2022
WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to honor and pay
tribute to those cultural institutions and organizations whose
commitment to promoting the richness and diversity of the arts and
entertainment world has contributed to the strength, vitality, and
cultural enrichment of their communities and the great State of New
York; and
WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its
long-standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to
commemorate the Centennial Anniversary of the purchase of the New
Amsterdam Musical Association's headquarters building, to be celebrated
at an event on Saturday, June 25, 2022, at the Harlem School of the Arts
in New York, New York; and
WHEREAS, This momentous occasion will take place in conjunction with
the observance of June as African American Music Appreciation Month,
which was initiated by President Jimmy Carter on June 7, 1979; three
decades later, President Barack Obama gave the month its current name
and proclaimed that African-American music and musicians have helped the
country "to dance, to express injustice and defend our country's
enduring promise of freedom and opportunity for all"; and
WHEREAS, Founded in 1904, and incorporated on January 9, 1905, the
New Amsterdam Musical Association (NAMA) is the oldest African-American
musical organization in the United States; and
WHEREAS, NAMA became a key cultural reference point for jazz music
during the Harlem Renaissance from the 1920s through to the 1950s,
serving as a place for many musicians, such as James Reese Europe, Eubie
Blake, and Langston Hughes, to gather after performances to socialize
and to practice; and
WHEREAS, After relocating seven different times, NAMA moved to its
current location, a tall brownstone on 107 W 130th Street in 1922; named
a Historical Landmark, it remains a tribute to the story of
African-American musicians in New York City; and
WHEREAS, Today, NAMA is no longer a union, however, it continues to
serve as a gathering place for residents and musicians through community
events such as weekly Monday Nite Jam sessions, NAMA Legends sessions,
fundraisers, and various holiday programs; and
WHEREAS, NAMA also offers voice and instrumental lessons on a
sliding fee scale, keeping with the organization's mantra, "I have this,
I will share with you. Take it and make yourself better"; and
WHEREAS, Many features remain intact from the original 1922
structure; visitors enter through a red door underneath the main
entrance's stairway, which leads to the performance area on the
building's lower level; photographs of notable members line the walls
and rows of chairs lead up to a small stage where a piano sits on the
back left and to the right, a drum kit; and
WHEREAS, The success of NAMA is in direct correlation to the efforts
of its dedicated members, such as Buster Bailey, Will Marion Cook,
Rafael Escudero, Craig S. Harris, John E. Johnson, Brooks Kerr, Larry
Lucey, Willie J. Mack, Henry Minton, Gladys Seals, Zutty Singleton, Fred
Staton, Dickie Wells, and Fess Williams, whose involvement is, and
always has been, characterized by an impressive commitment, an unbridled
enthusiasm, and an uncompromising standard of excellence in all
endeavors on behalf of the organization and the community it serves; and
WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to honor and pay
tribute to those organizations and individuals whose commitment and
creative talents have contributed to the entertainment and cultural
enrichment of the citizens of the State of New York; now, therefore, be
it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
commemorate the Centennial Anniversary of the purchase of the New
Amsterdam Musical Association's headquarters building on June 25, 2022;
and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to the New Amsterdam Musical Association.
