Bill Text: NY K00962 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Memorializing Governor Andrew M. Cuomo to proclaim June 2020 as African American Music Appreciation Month in the State of New York

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Passed) 2020-07-21 - adopted [K00962 Detail]

Download: New_York-2019-K00962-Introduced.html

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Assembly Resolution No. 962

BY: M. of A. Rules (Richardson)

        MEMORIALIZING Governor Andrew M. Cuomo to proclaim
        June  2020  as  African  American Music Appreciation
        Month in the State of New York

  WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body, in  keeping  with
its  time-honored  traditions, to recognize and pay tribute to those who
seek to preserve and celebrate the musical heritage  of  our  State  and
Nation; and

  WHEREAS,  This  Legislative  Body  is  justly  proud  to memorialize
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo to proclaim June 2020 as African American Music
Appreciation Month in the State of New York,  in  conjunction  with  the
observance of National African-American Music Appreciation Month; and

  WHEREAS,  African  American  Music  Appreciation  Month is an annual
celebration of African American music in the United States, commemorated
with special performances and  multi-day  festivals  in  musical  genres
ranging from soul to jazz to gospel throughout the nation; and

  WHEREAS,  Observation  of Black Music Month was initiated on June 7,
1979, by President Jimmy Carter, who decreed  that  June  would  be  the
month of black music; since then, American presidents have continued the
practice  and,  for  each  year  of  his  term,  President  Barack Obama
announced the observance under  a  new  title,  African  American  Music
Appreciation Month; and

  WHEREAS,  America's  diverse musical heritage is a reflection of the
creativity and optimism of our Nation;  during  African  American  Music
Appreciation Month, we celebrate the breathtaking talents and creativity
of  African  American  vocalists,  instrumentalists, and composers whose
achievements  have  shaped  our  national  culture  and   enriched   our
communities; and

  WHEREAS,  For  the  entire  span  of  our  Nation's history, African
Americans have created music that communicates across racial and  social
boundaries, giving voice to the full range of human experience; and

  WHEREAS,  During  African  Americans'  involuntary  servitude, music
often served as a means of expressing the inexpressible; when facing the
cruelty of slavery and injustice, spirituals brought comfort to troubled
souls; and

  WHEREAS, These timeless declarations of hope and faith evolved  into
the more modern genres of gospel, blues, ragtime, and jazz, expressed in
the  musical  genius  of Scott Joplin, Marian Anderson, Eubie Blake, and
Mahalia Jackson; during the Civil Rights era, African American musicians
such as Duke Ellington,  Muddy  Waters,  and  Ruth  Brown  conveyed  the
struggles  of their communities while bringing people of all backgrounds
together; today, this music continues to inspire America's citizens  and
advance its creative spirit; and

  WHEREAS,  Throughout the course of American history, black musicians
have used their great talents to  share  the  richness  of  the  African

American  experience  and  to develop a uniquely American style of music
enjoyed throughout the world; in June 2020, we  honor  the  pioneers  of
African  American  music  along  with today's artists who continue their
legacy; and

  WHEREAS, From "Glory", the winning best song in the movie "Selma" to
the  historic  success  of  Jay-Z  and  Beyonce, to the continual social
impact displayed by  artists  such  as  Stevie  Wonder  and  Prince  who
performed in Baltimore, Maryland, remind us that Black lives matter; and

  WHEREAS,  A  local  component,  the Harlem Renaissance, was the name
given to the cultural, social, and artistic movement that took place  in
Harlem  between  the  end  of  World  War I and the middle of the 1930s;
during this period, Harlem was a cultural center, drawing black writers,
artists, musicians, photographers, poets, and scholars; and

  WHEREAS, The Bronx is home of hip-hop,  a  cultural  movement  which
formed  during  the late 1960s among African American youths residing in
the South Bronx in New York City; hip-hop  legends  who  hail  from  the
Bronx  include  KOOL  DJ Herc, Grandmaster Melle Mel and Kurtis Blow; in
addition, preparations are being  made,  led  by  Rocky  Bucano,  for  a
universal hip-hop museum to be located in the Bronx; and

  WHEREAS,  Events  which  provide a means of preserving a part of our
rich American past and which contribute to the community in  such  noble
endeavors  as  aforementioned,  are  held  in the highest regard by this
Legislative Body; now, therefore, be it

  RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its  deliberations  to
memorialize  Governor  Andrew  M. Cuomo to proclaim June 2020 as African
American Music Appreciation Month in the State of New York;  and  be  it
further

  RESOLVED,  That  a  copy  of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to The Honorable Andrew M. Cuomo, Governor of the  State  of
New York.