[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 541 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 541

   Recognizing the contributions of African Americans to the musical 
heritage of the United States and the need for greater access to music 
education for African-American students and supporting the designation 
       of June 2023 as African-American Music Appreciation Month.


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                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 22, 2023

Mr. Meeks (for himself, Mr. Johnson of Georgia, Ms. Lee of California, 
and Ms. Norton) submitted the following resolution; which was referred 
            to the Committee on Education and the Workforce

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
   Recognizing the contributions of African Americans to the musical 
heritage of the United States and the need for greater access to music 
education for African-American students and supporting the designation 
       of June 2023 as African-American Music Appreciation Month.

Whereas spirituals, ragtime, blues, jazz, gospel, classical composition, and 
        countless other categories of music have been created or enhanced by 
        African Americans and are etched into the history and culture of the 
        United States;
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;
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;
Whereas jazz, arguably the most creative and complex music that the United 
        States has produced, combines the musical traditions of African 
        Americans in New Orleans with the creative flexibility of blues music;
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;
Whereas Thomas Dorsey, the father of gospel music, used his composing talents to 
        merge sacred and secular styles that created a revolution in music;
Whereas talented jazz pianist and vocalist Nathaniel Adams Coles recorded more 
        than 150 singles and sold more than 50,000,000 records;
Whereas the talent of Ella Fitzgerald, a winner of 13 Grammys, is epitomized by 
        a rendition of ``Summertime'', a bluesy record accompanied by melodic 
        vocals;
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'';
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 Minton's Playhouse;
Whereas earlier classical singers such as Elizabeth Taylor Greenfield, one of 
        the first widely known African-American vocalists, and other early 
        African-American singing pioneers, including Nellie Mitchell Brown, 
        Marie Selika Williams, Rachel Walker Turner, Marian Anderson, and Flora 
        Batson Bergen, paved the way for the female African-American concert 
        singers who have achieved great popularity during the last 50 years;
Whereas the term ``rhythm and blues'' originated in the late 1940s as a way to 
        describe recordings marketed to African Americans and replaced the term 
        ``race music'';
Whereas lyrical themes in rhythm and blues often encapsulate the African-
        American experience of pain, the quest for freedom, joy, triumphs and 
        failures, relationships, economics, and aspiration and were popularized 
        by artists such as Ray Charles, Ruth Brown, Etta James, and Otis 
        Redding;
Whereas soul music originated in the African-American community in the late 
        1950s and early 1960s, combines elements of African-American 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;
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;
Whereas Go-Go, developed by African-American musicians in the mid 1960s, 
        combines funk, soul, and Latin music, popularized by artists such as 
        Chuck Brown and Rare Essence, went on to become the ``official music of 
        Washington DC'';
Whereas Harry Belafonte, a singer, actor, and activist, a supporter and 
        confidant of Martin Luther King, Jr., throughout the civil rights 
        movement, influenced by his Caribbean roots, popularized calypso music 
        in the United States;
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;
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;
Whereas rock and roll was developed from African-American 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;
Whereas rap, arguably the most complex and influential form of hip-hop culture, 
        combines blues, jazz, and soul and elements of the African-American 
        musical tradition with Caribbean calypso, dub, and dance hall reggae;
Whereas the development and popularity of old-style rap combined confident beats 
        with wordplay and storytelling, highlighting the struggle of African-
        American youth growing up in underresourced neighborhoods;
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;
Whereas Prince Rogers Nelson, who was known for electric performances and a wide 
        vocal range, pioneered music that integrated a wide variety of styles, 
        including funk, rock, contemporary rhythm and blues, new wave, soul, 
        psychedelia, and pop;
Whereas the incredible Billie Holiday created a cultural reset by recording 
        ``Strange Fruit'', originally a poem that depicted lynching in the 
        southern United States, that became the first protest song of the civil 
        rights era;
Whereas the talented jazz artist Duke Ellington pushed boundaries with his hits 
        ``It Don't Mean a Thing if It Ain't Got That Swing'' and ``Sophisticated 
        Lady'' and received 13 Grammys as well as the Presidential Gold Medal;
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;
Whereas Tina Turner, the queen of rock and roll, stunned audiences with her 
        powerful vocals, the first women or African-American musician to be 
        featured on the cover of Rolling Stone, receiving 12 Grammys during her 
        lifetime;
Whereas trailblazer Florence Price is the first noted African-American female 
        composer to gain national status and the first African-American woman to 
        have her composed work performed by a major national symphony orchestra;
Whereas the classical singer Marian Anderson broke down racial barriers by 
        performing at the Lincoln Memorial in 1939 after being denied to sing in 
        front of an integrated audience at the DAR Constitution Hall in 
        Washington, DC;
Whereas country music singer Charley Pride was inducted into the Country Music 
        Hall of Fame in 2000 and has over 40 number 1 country hits;
Whereas Nina Simone, one of the most prominent and extraordinary soul singers, 
        has music spanning over 4 decades that has impacted generations with her 
        detailed story telling;
Whereas musician Bobby McFerrin brought joy to audiences everywhere with his 
        smash hit ``Don't Worry Be Happy'';
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'';
Whereas David Jolicoeur, also known as Trugoy the Dove, a founding member of 
        hip-hop group De La Soul and Native Tongues, used his passion for rap 
        music to spread positive messages within his community;
Whereas musical force Marvin Gaye used his versatility as an artist to produce 
        hits like ``I Heard It Through the Grapevine'' and ``Ain't No Mountain 
        High Enough'';
Whereas a recent study by the National Arts Education Data Project found that 13 
        percent of schools with a predominately African-American student 
        population have no access to music education;
Whereas African-American students scored the lowest of all ethnicities in the 
        most recent National Assessment for Educational Progress arts 
        assessment;
Whereas African-American students often receive a music education that does not 
        reflect their own culture;
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;
Whereas a study found that--

    (1) nearly \2/3\ of music ensemble students were White and middle 
class, and only 15 percent of those students were African American; and

    (2) only 7 percent of music teacher licensure candidates were African 
American; 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, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) recognizes--
                    (A) the contributions of African Americans to the 
                musical heritage of the United States;
                    (B) the wide array of talented and popular African-
                American musical artists, composers, songwriters, and 
                musicians who are underrecognized for contributions to 
                music;
                    (C) the achievements, talent, and hard work of 
                African-American pioneer artists and the obstacles that 
                those artists overcame to gain recognition;
                    (D) the need for African-American students to have 
                greater access to, and participation in, music 
                education in schools across the United States; and
                    (E) Black History Month and African-American Music 
                Appreciation Month as an important time--
                            (i) to celebrate the impact of the African-
                        American musical heritage on the musical 
                        heritage of the United States; and
                            (ii) to encourage greater access to music 
                        education so that the next generation may 
                        continue to greatly contribute to the musical 
                        heritage of the United States; and
            (2) supports the designation of ``African-American Music 
        Appreciation Month''.
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