    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2003, Book I)]
    [June 24, 2003]
    [Pages 686-687]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    [[Page 686]]

    Remarks at a Celebration of Black Music Month
    June 24, 2003

        I'm feeling pretty energized. [Laughter] Thank you all. Welcome to
    the White House. Laura and I are thrilled you're
    here as we celebrate Black Music Month.
        This is an annual event, and we always try to celebrate it in style.
    And we did. Thank you all so very much for coming. The White House is
    feeling pretty joyous right now. [Laughter]
        We've got some wonderful guests here today. We've got a lot of
    educators and athletes and got the mayor of Hempstead, New York. We've got the President--my friend the President of
    Panama Elisa is with us today. Madam
    President, thank you for coming. We're honored you're here. We want to
    thank your Minister of Foreign Relations and
    your Ambassador for coming as well.
        Of course, joining us as well are two members from my Cabinet: a
    fabulous Secretary of State, Colin Powell--
    thank you, Mr. Secretary--the Secretary of Education, Rod Paige. Thank you for coming, Mr. Secretary. Condoleezza
    Rice is with us. Condi, thank you for
    coming. We've got other members from my administration. I want to thank
    you for coming. I know Sam Brownback is here,
    the Senator from Kansas.
        I want to thank so very much Stanley Crouch. It's wonderful to see you again, sir. We're honored
    you're here. He brightened up one of the book festivals that Laura gave
    a while ago. It's a joyous time to hear him read. You haven't lost your
    touch. [Laughter]
        I want to thank so very much the cast of ``Harlem Song'' for coming.
    You're fantastic artists. Loren, thank you
    very much as well, sir, for you being here, and the Harlem Jazz Museum
    Artists. You really are great. Thanks for coming--appreciate you coming.
        We've got a lot of other great musicians with us today, and I want
    to thank you all for gracing the White House. Thanks for coming back.
        The artists with us today are known and admired for high achievement
    in many musical forms. And the commemoration of this month expresses our
    Nation's pride in the music that Black Americans have created and have
    shared with the world.
        Some of the finest performances by Black Americans have been heard
    right here in the White House and in this room. Lionel Hampton played
    here many times over half a century. Laura and I
    were honored to host him on his last visit to the White House in 2001.
    Duke Ellington performed in the East Room in 1969. He was familiar with
    the place because, after all, his dad worked here as a butler. The
    Steinway grand piano in the foyer has been played by Ellington and Earl
    Hines, by Hank Jones and by Billy Taylor. And when Franklin Roosevelt
    wanted to show the King and Queen of England the finest music in
    America, he brought them to this room to hear Marian Anderson sing ``Ave
    Maria.''
        Those White House performances were moments of triumph for artists
    who loved this country, even when this country did not make them feel
    fully welcomed. And the grace and dignity of their lives is part of the
    story of black music in America. In so many different ways, the artistry
    of black musicians has conveyed the experience of Black Americans
    throughout our history. From the earliest generations of slaves came
    music of sorrow and patience, of truth and righteousness, and of faith
    that shamed the oppressor and called upon the justice of Almighty God
    and praised His holy name.
        Out of this heritage has come a tremendous variety of music,
    expressed in gospel

    [[Page 687]]

    and jazz, in rhythm and blues, and in rock and roll. Lyrics first heard
    in the country churches in the Mississippi Delta and songs first played
    in the clubs of Harlem and Chicago and Memphis are now recognized and
    loved in every part of America and throughout the world. The music we
    honor this month could have only come from the unique experience of
    Black Americans.
        Yet, at its best, this music speaks to every heart. Your day is a
    little better when you hear Nat King Cole sing ``Unforgettable,'' or
    Aaron Neville ``Tell it Like it Is''--
    [laughter]--or Diana Ross singing
    ``Reflections,'' or B.B. King B. lamenting, ``The
    Thrill is Gone.'' [Laughter] Or how about when James Brown proclaims, ``I Feel Good''? [Laughter] Or Mahalia
    Jackson praising our ``Precious Lord.''
        This is some of the greatest music America has ever produced.
    America is thankful to the men and women who have shared this gift with
    us all. And so today I've signed a proclamation designating June 2003 as
    Black Music Month in the United States of America.
        May God bless your talents, and may God continue to bless the United
    States of America. Thank you for coming.

    Note: The President spoke at 5:38 p.m. in the East Room at the White
    House. In his remarks, he referred to Mayor James A. Garner of
    Hempstead, NY; President Mireya Elisa Moscoso, Foreign Minister Harmodio
    Arias, and Ambassador to the United States Roberto Alfaro of Panama;
    writer and jazz critic Stanley Crouch; jazz musician Loren Schoenberg;
    and the Harlem Jazz Museum Artists musical group. The Black Music Month
    proclamation of June 24 is listed in Appendix D at the end of this
    volume.