President Barack Obama has never hid his love for music. Having recently endorsed Kendrick Lamar‘s To Pimp a Butterfly, provided Kanye West with political advice, and publicly shared his thoughts on the passing of Prince, he has now officially declared June of 2016 to be “African-American Music Appreciation Month” for the United States of America.
The proclamation was issued on May 31st, when President Obama explained, “African-American music exemplifies the creative spirit at the heart of American identity and is among the most innovative and powerful art the world has ever known. It accompanies us in our daily lives, and it has rung out at turning points in our history and demonstrated how our achievements as a culture go hand-in-hand with our progress as a Nation.”
He continues, “Songs by African-American musicians span the breadth of the human experience and resonate in every corner of our Nation — animating our bodies, stimulating our imaginations, and nourishing our souls. In the ways they transform real stories about real people into art, these artists speak to universal human emotion and the restlessness that stirs within us all. African-American music helps us imagine a better world, and it offers hope that we will get there together.”
Additionally, President Obama asked public officials and educators to observe the month with “appropriate activities and programs that raise awareness and foster appreciation of music that is composed, arranged, or performed by African Americans.”
How will you begin to celebrate? We’re going to start here.
Lupe Fiasco, “Hip-Hop Saved My Life”
[H/T CoS]