Black Music Month, 2024

Vol. 89

Wednesday,

No. 109

June 5, 2024

Part II

The President

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Proclamation 10766--Black Music Month, 2024

Proclamation 10767--Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and
Intersex Pride Month, 2024

Proclamation 10768--National Caribbean-American Heritage Month, 2024

Proclamation 10769--National Homeownership Month, 2024

Proclamation 10770--National Ocean Month, 2024

Proclamation 10771--Adjusting Imports of Steel Into the United States

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Title 3--
The President

Proclamation 10766 of May 31, 2024

Black Music Month, 2024

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

During Black Music Month, we celebrate the Black
artists and creatives whose work has so often been a
tidal wave of change--not only by defining the American
songbook and culture but also by capturing our greatest
hopes for the future and pushing us to march forward
together.

Our Nation has only recognized Black Music Month for 45
years, but its legacy stretches back to our country's
earliest days. Black music began when enslaved people,
who were cruelly prohibited from communicating in their
native languages, found ways to express themselves
through music. Set to the sound of African rhythms,
they captured the inhumanity, tragedy, and toll that
America's original sin took on their lives while also
telling the stories of their hopes and dreams, faith
and spirituality, and love and purpose. Ever since,
Black performers have carried on that tradition of
using art to break down barriers, create sacred spaces
for expression, and give voice to the promise of
America for all Americans. They have created and shaped
some of our most beloved genres of music--like folk,
blues, jazz, hip-hop, country, rock and roll, gospel,
spirituals, and R&B. Black music has set the beat of
the Civil Rights Movement; expressed the inherent
dignity and captured the pride and power of Black
communities; and held a mirror to the good, the bad,
and the truth of our Nation.

Black music is a staple of American art and a
powerhouse of our culture--that is why we must continue
to open doors for the next generation of Black artists.
Since I came into office, I have had the honor of
bestowing some of our Nation's highest awards to some
of our most important Black performers and producers
like Gladys Knight, Berry Gordy, Tania Le[oacute]n,
Queen Latifah, Dionne Warwick, and more--uplifting
their talent and inspiring others to follow their
example. After making Juneteenth a National Holiday, I
also hosted the first Juneteenth concert on the South
Lawn--where the voices of Jennifer Hudson, Audra
McDonald, Ledisi, and other incredible performers
reminded us all of the beauty of Black music and Black
culture that is American music and American culture.
Last year, Vice President Kamala Harris hosted the
first-ever hip-hop house party at the Vice President's
Residence. At the same time, I have helped secure over
$100 million to keep concert halls, theaters, and other
venues afloat during the pandemic. In my Budget, I ask
for a total of over $400 million for the National
Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for
the Humanities--that includes funding for arts programs
in underserved communities.

Black music embodies the best of American art--
inspiring us, challenging us, and bringing us together.
This month, may we show gratitude to all the Black
artists, whose work speaks to the soul of who we are,
shows us the way forward together, and reminds us to
lift every voice.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., 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 2024 as
Black Music Month. I call upon public officials,
educators, and all the people

of the United States to observe this month by honoring
Black musicians and raising awareness and appreciation
of Black music.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
thirty-first day of May, in the year of our Lord two
thousand twenty-four, and of the Independence of the
United States of America the two hundred and forty-
eighth.