African-American Music Appreciation Month, 2018

Proclamation 9763 of June 1, 2018

African-American Music Appreciation Month, 2018

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

During African-American Music Appreciation Month, we
celebrate the tremendous achievements and contributions
of African-American musicians. The musical ingenuity of
talented African American artists laid the foundation
for so many recognizable and cherished genres of music,
including rock and roll, rhythm and blues, jazz,
gospel, hip hop, and rap.

Throughout our history, African-American music has
demonstrated its power to elicit comfort, healing,
happiness, conviction, and inspiration--as well as its
ability to unite people of all backgrounds. Today, it
resonates in jazz quartets, rock and roll guitar solos,
gospel choirs, and hip hop beats. The expression of
these artistic and diverse styles of music acts as a
voice for freedom, justice, love, and the pursuit of
happiness.

African-American music has played a significant role in
shaping the American dream and instilling a sense of
pride in being an ``American.'' The talent and
creativity of pioneers like Miles Davis, Duke
Ellington, Nat King Cole, Etta James, Whitney Houston,
and many others have indelibly enriched our culture and
our lives. As Etta James noted, ``I wanna show that
gospel, country, blues, rhythm and blues, jazz, rock
`n' roll are all just really one thing. Those are the
American music and that is the American culture.'' Etta
James recognized that the history and evolution of
music in America reflects our country's cultural
uniqueness and our country's commitment to protect and
love every voice.

African-American music brings together people of all
backgrounds--people who hum it, whistle it, and sing
it--to enjoy blended tunes and hard-to-hit notes. Its
contagious rhythm empowers its listeners to recall
memories of the past and grow excited for the future.
Our Nation is indebted to all the African-American
artists whose music fills our airways and our homes,
lifts our spirits, and compels us to think, dance, and
sing. These musicians and their legacies ignite our
imaginations and prove to us that the sky is the limit.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, 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 2018 as African-
American Music Appreciation Month. I call upon public
officials, educators, and all the people of the United
States to observe this month with appropriate
activities and programs that raise awareness and
appreciation of African-American music.

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