WHEREAS, Spirituals, ragtime, blues, jazz, gospel, classical composition, and countless other categories of music have been created or enhanced by Black people and are etched into the history and culture of the United States; and

WHEREAS, The first Africans transported to the United States came from a variety of ethnic groups with a long history of distinct and cultivated musical traditions, brought musical instruments with them, and built new musical instruments in the United States; and

WHEREAS, Spirituals were a distinct response to the conditions of African slavery in the United States and expressed the longing of slaves for spiritual and bodily freedom, for safety from harm and evil, and for relief from the hardships of slavery; and

WHEREAS, Jazz, arguably the most creative and complex music that the United States has produced, combines the musical traditions of Black people in New Orleans with the creative flexibility of blues music; and

WHEREAS, Masterful trumpeters Louis Armstrong and Miles Davis achieved national and international recognition with the success of West End Blues by Louis Armstrong in the 1920s and So What by Miles Davis in the late 1950s; and

WHEREAS, Thomas Dorsey, the father of gospel music, used his composing talents to merge sacred and secular styles that created a revolution in music; and

WHEREAS, Talented jazz pianist and vocalist Nathaniel Adams Coles recorded more than 150 singles and sold more than 50,000,000 records; and

WHEREAS, The talent of Ella Fitzgerald, a winner of 13 Grammy Awards, is epitomized by a rendition of Summertime, a bluesy song accompanied by melodic vocals; and

WHEREAS, Natalie Cole, the daughter of Nathaniel Adams Coles, achieved musical success in the mid-1970s as a rhythm and blues artist with the hits This Will Be and Unforgettable; and

WHEREAS, In the 1940s, bebop evolved through jam sessions, which included trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie and the alto saxophonist Charlie Parker, that were held at clubs in Harlem, New York, such as Mintons Playhouse; and

WHEREAS, Earlier classical singers such as Elizabeth Taylor Greenfield, one of the first widely known Black vocalists, and other early Black singing pioneers, including Nellie Mitchell Brown, Marie Selika Williams, Rachel Walker Turner, Marian Anderson, and Flora Batson Bergen, paved the way for the female Black concert singers who have achieved great popularity during the last 50 years; and

WHEREAS, The term rhythm and blues originated in the late 1940s as a way to describe recordings marketed to Black people and replaced the term race music; and

WHEREAS, Lyrical themes in rhythm and blues often encapsulate the Black experience of pain, the quest for freedom, joy, triumphs, failures, relationships, economics, and aspiration and were popularized by artists such as Ray Charles, Ruth Brown, Etta James, and Otis Redding; and

WHEREAS, Soul music originated in the Black community in the late 1950s and early 1960s, combines elements of Black gospel music, rhythm and blues, and jazz, and was popularized by artists such as Aretha Franklin, James Brown, Ray Charles, Sam Cooke, Bill Withers, and Jackie Wilson; and

WHEREAS, Motown, founded as a record label in 1959, evolved into a distinctive style known for the Motown Sound, a blend of pop and soul musical stylings made popular by prominent Black artists such as Marvin Gaye, James Mason, and Mary Wells; and

WHEREAS, Go-Go, developed by Black musicians in the mid-1960s, combines funk, soul, and Latin music, was popularized by artists such as Chuck Brown and Rare Essence, and is the official music of Washington, DC; and

WHEREAS, The National Museum of African American Music in Nashville, Tennessee, serves as the official home of Black Music Month and is dedicated to preserving and celebrating the central role of Black music in American culture; and

WHEREAS, Influenced by his Caribbean roots, Harry Belafonte, a singer, actor, and activist, and a supporter and confidant of Martin Luther King, Jr., throughout the civil rights movement, popularized calypso music in the United States; and

WHEREAS, In the early 1970s, the musical style of disco emerged and was popularized by programs such as Soul Train and by artists such as Donna Summer; and

WHEREAS, Reggae is a genre of music that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s and incorporates some of the musical elements of rhythm and blues, jazz, mento, calypso, and African music, and was popularized by artists such as Bob Marley; and

WHEREAS, Rock and roll was developed from Black musical styles such as gospel and rhythm and blues and was popularized by artists such as Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, Little Richard, and Jimi Hendrix; and

WHEREAS, Rap, arguably the most complex and influential form of hip-hop culture, combines blues, jazz, and soul and elements of the Black musical tradition with Caribbean calypso, dub, and dance hall reggae; and

WHEREAS, The development and popularity of old-style rap combined confident beats with wordplay and storytelling, highlighting the struggle of Black youth growing up in underresourced neighborhoods; and

WHEREAS, Dayton, Ohio, known as the Land of Funk, helped give rise to the genre of funk as a mixture of soul, jazz, and rhythm and blues and popularized bands such as the Ohio Players, Heatwave, Zapp and Roger, and Lakeside; and

WHEREAS, Contemporary rhythm and blues, which originated in the late 1970s and combines elements of pop, rhythm and blues, soul, funk, hip hop, gospel, and electronic dance music, was popularized by artists such as Whitney Houston and Aaliyah; and

WHEREAS, Prince Rogers Nelson, a Minnesota native, was a one-of-a-kind artist who made Purple Rain a household name, the nightclub First Avenue a landmark, and brought international fame to Minnesotas music scene; and

WHEREAS, The incredible Billie Holiday created a cultural reset by recording Strange Fruit, originally a poem that depicted lynching in the southern United States, which became the first protest song of the civil rights era; and

WHEREAS, The talented jazz artist Duke Ellington pushed boundaries with his hits It Dont Mean a Thing if It Aint Got That Swing and Sophisticated Lady and received 13 Grammy Awards and the Presidential Medal of Freedom; and

WHEREAS, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, known as the Godmother of Rock n Roll, combined her distinctive guitar style with melodic blues and traditional gospel music that influenced the likes of Aretha Franklin and Chuck Berry; and

WHEREAS, Tina Turner, known as the Queen of Rock n Roll, stunned audiences with her powerful vocals, was the first woman or Black musician to be featured on the cover of Rolling Stone, and received 12 Grammy Awards during her lifetime; and

WHEREAS, Trailblazer Florence Price was the first noted Black female composer to gain national status and the first Black woman to have her composed work performed by a major national symphony orchestra; and

WHEREAS, The classical singer Marian Anderson broke down racial barriers by performing at the Lincoln Memorial in 1939 after being denied the opportunity to sing in front of an integrated audience at the Daughters of the American Revolution Constitution Hall in Washington, DC; and

WHEREAS, Country music singer Charley Pride was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2000 and has had more than 40 hits reach number one on the country charts; and

WHEREAS, Nina Simone, one of the most prominent and extraordinary soul singers, has music spanning more than four decades that impacted generations with detailed storytelling; and

WHEREAS, Musician Bobby McFerrin brought joy to audiences everywhere with his smash hit Dont Worry Be Happy; and

WHEREAS, Famous saxophone player John Coltrane made his impact on genres like bebop, jazz, and rhythm and blues through his work such as A Love Supreme; and

WHEREAS, David Jolicoeur, also known as Trugoy the Dove, was a founding member of hip-hop groups De La Soul and Native Tongues and used his passion for rap music to spread positive messages within his community; and

WHEREAS, Musical force Marvin Gaye used his versatility as an artist to produce hits like I Heard It Through the Grapevine and Aint No Mountain High Enough; and

WHEREAS, Jennifer Hudson won two Grammy Awards during her career from nine nominations including her first Grammy in 2009 for Best R&B Album and her second in 2017 for Best Musical Theater Album; and

WHEREAS, Jennifer Hudson achieved the prestigious EGOT status in 2022, becoming the 17th person and one of the youngest at age 40 to win an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Award; and

WHEREAS, A recent study by the National Arts Education Data Project found that 49 percent of all students attending schools with a predominately African American student population do not participate in school music programs; and

WHEREAS, Black students scored the lowest of all ethnicities in the most recent National Assessment for Educational Progress arts assessment; and

WHEREAS, Black students often receive a music education that does not reflect their own culture; and

WHEREAS, Students who are eligible for the school lunch program established under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1751 et seq.) have significantly lower scores on the music portion of the National Assessment for Educational Progress arts assessment than students who are ineligible for that program, which suggests that students in low-income families are disadvantaged in the subject of music; and

WHEREAS, A study found that nearly two-thirds of music ensemble students were White and middle class, only 15 percent of those students were Black, and only 7 percent of music teacher licensure candidates were Black; and

WHEREAS, Students of color face many barriers to accessing music education and training, especially students in large urban public schools; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, That the Assembly designates June 2026 as Black Music Month; and be it further

Resolved, That the Assembly of the State of California recognizes the contributions of Black people to the musical heritage of California and the United States, and the wide array of talented and popular Black musical artists, composers, songwriters, and musicians who are underrecognized for contributions to music, and be it further

Resolved, That the achievements, talent, and hard work of Black pioneer artists and the obstacles that those artists overcame deserve recognition; and be it further

Resolved, That there is a need for Black students to have greater access to, and participation in, culturally relevant music programs in schools in California; and be it further

Resolved, That Black History Month and Black Music Month are recognized as important times to celebrate the impact of the Black musical heritage on the musical heritage of the United States and to encourage greater access to music education so that the next generation may continue to greatly contribute to the musical heritage of California and the United States; and be it further

Resolved,That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.

HR 112

Current Status:

Assembly Floor

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