AFRICAN-AMERICAN MUSIC APPRECIATION MONTH, 2012
- - - -
- - -
BY THE
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
A
PROCLAMATION
As a long-cherished piece of American culture, music offers a vibrant soundtrack to the story of our people and our Union. At times when words alone could not bring us together, we have found in melodies and choruses the universal truths of our shared humanity. African-American musicians have left an indelible mark on this tradition, and during African-American Music Appreciation Month, we pay special tribute to their extraordinary contributions.
Generations of African Americans have used music
to share joy and pain, triumph and sorrow.
Spiritual hymns gave hope to those laboring under the unrelenting
cruelty of slavery, while gospel-inspired freedom songs sustained a movement
for justice and equality for all. The
smooth sounds of jazz and the soulful strain of the blues fed a renaissance in
art and prose. The rhythm and blues that
began in a basement in Detroit brought people together when laws would have
kept them apart, while the urban beats and young wordsmiths from cities
coast-to-coast gave voice to a new generation.
And on stages and in concert halls around the world, African-American
singers and composers have enhanced opera, symphony, and classical music by
bringing energy and creativity to traditional genres.
At its core, African-American music mirrors the
narrative of its original creators -- born of humble beginnings and raised to
refuse the limitations and circumstances of its birth. This month, we honor the African-American
musicians, composers, singers, and songwriters who have forever shaped our
musical heritage, and celebrate those who carry this rich legacy forward.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, 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 2012 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 foster appreciation of music
that is composed, arranged, or performed by African Americans.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand
this first day of June, in the year of our Lord two thousand twelve, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-sixth.
BARACK OBAMA
No comments:
Post a Comment