Memorializing Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim June 2026, as Black Music Month in the State of New York

Senate Resolution No. 2214

BY: Senator WEBB

        MEMORIALIZING  Governor  Kathy  Hochul to proclaim
        June 2026, as Black Music Month in the State of  New
        York

  WHEREAS,  It  is the sense of this Legislative Body to recognize and
pay tribute to those who seek to  preserve  and  celebrate  the  musical
heritage of our State and Nation; and

  WHEREAS,  Attendant  to  such  concern,  and in full accord with its
long-standing traditions, this  Legislative  Body  is  justly  proud  to
memorialize  Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim June 2026, as Black Music
Month in the State of New York, in conjunction with  the  observance  of
National African American Music Appreciation Month; and

  WHEREAS,  African  American  Music  Appreciation  Month is an annual
celebration of African American music in the United States, commemorated
with special performances and  multi-day  festivals  in  musical  genres
ranging  from  soul  to jazz to gospel to hip-hop throughout the Nation;
and

  WHEREAS, Observation of Black Music Month was initiated on  June  7,
1979,  by  President  Jimmy  Carter,  who decreed that June would be the
month of Black music; since then, American presidents have continued the
practice and, for each year of his term, former President  Barack  Obama
announced  the  observance  under  a  new  title, African American Music
Appreciation Month; and

  WHEREAS, America's diverse musical heritage is a reflection  of  the
creativity  and  optimism  of  our  Nation; during Black Music Month, we
celebrate the breathtaking talents and  creativity  of  African-American
vocalists,  instrumentalists,  and  composers  whose  achievements  have
shaped our national culture and enriched our communities; and

  WHEREAS, For the  entire  span  of  our  Nation's  history,  African
Americans  have created music that communicates across racial and social
boundaries, giving voice to the full range of human experience; and

  WHEREAS, During  African  Americans'  involuntary  servitude,  music
often served as a means of expressing the inexpressible; when facing the
cruelty of slavery and injustice, spirituals brought a sense of comfort;
and

  WHEREAS,  These timeless declarations of hope and faith evolved into
the more modern genres of gospel, blues, ragtime, and jazz, expressed in
the musical genius of Scott Joplin, Marian Anderson,  Eubie  Blake,  and
Mahalia Jackson; during the Civil Rights era, African American musicians
such  as  Duke  Ellington,  Muddy  Waters,  and  Ruth Brown conveyed the
struggles of their communities while bringing people of all  backgrounds
together;  today, this music continues to inspire America's citizens and
advance its creative spirit; and

  WHEREAS, Throughout the course of American history, Black  musicians
have  used  their  great  talents  to  share the richness of the African

American experience and to develop a uniquely American  style  of  music
enjoyed  throughout  the  world;  in June 2026, we honor the pioneers of
African American music along with today's  artists  who  continue  their
legacy; and

  WHEREAS,  From  Ella  Fitzgerald  making  history as the first Black
woman to win a Grammy in 1958, to "Fight For  You,"  the  Academy  Award
winning best original song in the movie "Judas and The Black Messiah" in
2021,  the historic success of Black artists continues to leave its mark
in communities, and we are reminded every day that Black  Lives  Matter;
and

  WHEREAS,  New  York  is  the  birthplace of many diverse artists and
musical movements that have shaped and cultivated Black Music across all
genres and generations; and

  WHEREAS, A local component, the Harlem  Renaissance,  was  the  name
given  to the cultural, social, and artistic movement that took place in
Harlem between the end of World War I  and  the  middle  of  the  1930s;
during this period, Harlem was a cultural center, drawing Black writers,
artists, musicians, photographers, poets, and scholars; and

  WHEREAS,  The  Bronx  is  home to hip-hop, a cultural movement which
formed during the late 1960s among African American  youth  residing  in
the  South  Bronx  in  New  York City; hip-hop legends who hail from the
Bronx include KOOL DJ Herc, Grandmaster Melle Mel, and Kurtis Blow; and

  WHEREAS, Queens, and in particular the neighborhoods of St.  Albans,
Addisleigh  Park  and  Jamaica,  were  the traditional home to an entire
spectrum of musical pioneers and legends, including  Count  Basie,  Lena
Horne,  Ella  Fitzgerald,  Illinois  Jacquet,  James Brown, Milt Hinton,
Cootie Williams, John Coltrane, Charlie Parker, Nasir Jones, and Russell
Simmons, among so many others; and

  WHEREAS, New Yorkers such as MC Lyte, Talib Kweli, DJ Beverly  Bond,
Bob  Law,  John  Coltrane, Sheila L. Brown, and Andre Langston have made
outstanding contributions to Black Music and  culture,  whose  exemplary
talents and legacies are integral in positively shaping the lives of our
residents and beyond; and

  WHEREAS,  Events  which  provide a means of preserving a part of our
rich American past and which contribute to the community in  such  noble
endeavors  as  aforementioned,  are  held  in the highest regard by this
Legislative Body; now, therefore, be it

  RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its  deliberations  to
memorialize  Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim June 2026, as Black Music
Month in the State of New York; and be it further

  RESOLVED, That a copy of this  Resolution,  suitably  engrossed,  be
transmitted  to The Honorable Kathy Hochul, Governor of the State of New
York.