Black Music Month, 2004

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Title 3--
The President

Proclamation 7798 of June 22, 2004

Black Music Month, 2004

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

The creativity and variety of African-American
composers, singers, and musicians have shaped America's
artistic and cultural landscape. During Black Music
Month, we celebrate and honor the extraordinary impact
of African-American music on our Nation's musical
heritage.

The artistry of black musicians changes as each
generation brings new talent and trends. Yet, there is
a continuous theme. From the profound spirituality of
African indigenous faith that influenced gospel,
through the development of blues and jazz, to the
emergence of rhythm and blues and rock and roll, we
hear the richness of the African-American experience,
past and present.

The earliest African-American music echoed the struggle
of the oppressed, the trust of the faithful, and the
endurance of the weary. We hear the voice of hope in
work songs, hymns, psalms, and spirituals. The musical
expression that captured the struggle for freedom and
equality formed the foundation for gospel, blues, and
jazz. African-American churchgoers transformed early
spirituals into gospel music, giving voice to praises
that still move listeners today. In the early 20th
century, performers like Ida Cox and Tommy Johnson gave
life to the improvised performances and style of the
blues. As artists migrated to cities, the blues
developed into an urban phenomenon and evolved into a
major force in contemporary music.

During the same period, early pioneers such as Duke
Ellington and Jelly Roll Morton were merging African
musical roots with popular and church music to create a
distinctively American sound: jazz. Songs first played
in clubs in New Orleans, Memphis, and Chicago are now
recognized and loved around the world. As jazz has
expanded beyond its acoustic roots, African-American
dreams, hopes, and joys have remained at the music's
core.

The brilliance of new musical expressions emerged with
rhythm and blues in the 1940s and rock and roll in the
1950s. Songs from great artists performing today embody
the enduring appeal of this music. As black music
continues to bring enjoyment to us all, the
commemoration of this month expresses our Nation's
recognition of its influence and our pride in its
legacy.

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 laws of the United
States, do hereby proclaim June 2004 as Black Music
Month. I encourage all Americans to learn more about
the history of black music and to enjoy the great
contributions of African-American musicians.

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

(Presidential Sig.)B