Intro to #BMM30 102 — Black Music Month Forever

The First Black Music Week/Month celebration, 1979 (courtesy of Billboard.com)

June is Black Music Month.

Not African-American Music Appreciation Month, a poorly contrived attempt to cover up the racism of the current national regime.

BLACK Music Month. Period. That’s how it was founded and acknowledged 38 years ago and that’s how I choose to acknowledge it.

Last year on a blog I barely use anymore (NTheRaw.wordpress.com), I put together a project called Black Music Month 30 (hashtag #BMM30) where I blogged facts, reviews and historical looks back at Black Music history as well as a few notes from today’s Black music makers.

That will continue this year in this space and as the month unfolds, hopefully readers and followers (and myself) will learn something new or be reminded of the great contributions that Black people in the United States and worldwide have made to the beautiful art form that is music.

Black Music Month started in 1979 as the brainchild of Kenny Gamble, the legendary mastermind of Philadelphia International Records and Dyana Williams (a VERY important ahnd influential Afro-Latina woman in the music biz. You should know her for real). They approached the White House about a week that would highlight, recognize and honor Black music and musicians. Then-President Jimmy Carter readily agreed and Black Music Week eventually became Black Music Month.

Which is what it shall remain to me. To be Black in this world is to have your creativity, aura, vibe and mere existence picked apart and picked from because hatred and imitation both are the sincerest forms of flattery. So as long as Black Music Month exists (as with anything in this era), it’s only right we honor those who came before us and those are who are upholding the tradition of beautiful Black people making beautiful Black music.

This month will feature thoughts on songs, albums, musicians and cultural eras that Black people are responsible for and hopefully, those people are done justice and given the credit and love due to them for being creative geniuses, trendsetters and game changers.

So stay tuned, save the hashtag and jump on in on Twitter and Instagram wherever you see fit.

Welcome to Black Music Month.