Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 476, a resolution celebrating the 30th Anniversary of June as “Black Music Month.”  In 1979, Black Music Month was established to encourage all Americans to learn about the role African-Americans have played in shaping music history in the United States.

As we celebrated Black Music Month this past June, I thought of the impact African-American music had on American culture.  Both socially and artistically, Black music is one of the most interesting trends in American history.

African-American music finds it roots in the slave culture of the rural South United States.  Blues and Gospel music comes from the plantation songs of slaves.  As blacks moved north into cities such as Memphis, Saint Louis, Chicago, and Detroit in the early parts of the 20th Century the music transitioned and became urbanized.  Blues became jazz, and combined with gospel music to form soul.

It was not until the post-World War II era that mainstream America began to feel the effects of Black music when musical geniuses such as Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters, Louis Jordan, B.B. King, Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, Little Richard and countless others began to be played on the radio. 

In the 1960’s soul music and Rhythm & Blues crossed over black music further into the mainstream.  Black music legends like James Brown, Berry Gordy’s Detroit Motown machine, and Jimi Hendrix let the world know that black music was a force to be reckoned with.

As Black music moved into the 1970’s and 1980’s, it took new forms.  Disco, rap, and a new form of Rhythm & Blues would produce modern era musical geniuses such as the greatest entertainer of all time, Michael Jackson.  Other musical greats like George Clinton, Prince, Kurtis Blow, Earth, Wind & Fire, and a host of others also helped black music grow to phenomenal levels.

So what is the impact of black music?  The impact of Black music most notably is it told mainstream America that it is okay to express feelings and emotions.  Black music informed America what was going on in African-American communities and it broke barriers that allowed Black people to further integrate into American society.

Madam Speaker, thank you and I urge my colleagues to support this bill celebrating the 30th Anniversary of Black Music Month.

I yield back the remainder of my time.