[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 463 Introduced in House (IH)]
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116th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. RES. 463
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 expressing support for the
designation of June as African-American Music Appreciation Month.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
June 25, 2019
Mr. Meeks (for himself, Mr. Bishop of Georgia, Mr. Schiff, Mr. Thompson
of Mississippi, Mr. Espaillat, Ms. Moore, Mr. Lewis, Mr. Hastings, Ms.
Clarke of New York, Mr. Carson of Indiana, Mr. Cohen, Mr. Soto, Ms.
Jackson Lee, Ms. Lee of California, Ms. Sewell of Alabama, Ms.
Barragan, Ms. Norton, Mr. Johnson of Georgia, Mr. Rush, and Mr. Clay)
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee
on Education and Labor
_______________________________________________________________________
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 expressing support for the
designation of June 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 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 talented jazz pianist and vocalist Nathaniel Adams Coles recorded more
than 150 singles and sold more than 50 million records;
Whereas the talent of Ella Fitzgerald, 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 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 and combines elements of African-American gospel
music, rhythm and blues, and jazz, and was popularized by artists such
as James Brown, Ray Charles, Sam Cooke, 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 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, and Jimi Hendrix;
Whereas rap, arguably the most complex and influential form of hip-hop culture,
combines elements of the African-American musical tradition (blues,
jazz, and soul) 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 struggling 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 Michael Jackson, one of the most popular entertainers of all time,
profoundly shaped music, dance, fashion, and popular culture around the
world;
Whereas Prince Rogers Nelson, who was known for electric performances and 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 a recent study by the Department of Education found that only 28 percent
of African-American students receive any kind of arts education;
Whereas African-American students scored the lowest of all ethnicities in the
most recent National Assessment for Educational Progress arts
assessment;
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 that are ineligible for that program, which suggests that
students in low-income families are disadvantaged in the subject of
music;
Whereas a recent study showed that nearly \2/3\ of music ensemble students were
Caucasian and middle class and only 15 percent were African American;
Whereas the same study found that only 7 percent of music teacher licensure
candidates were African American; and
Whereas minority students face many barriers to accessing musical training,
especially students in large urban public schools: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives recognizes--
(1) the contributions of African Americans to the musical
heritage of the United States;
(2) the wide array of talented and popular African-American
musical artists, composers, songwriters, and musicians who are
underrecognized for contributions to music;
(3) the achievements, talent, and hard work of African-
American pioneer artists, and the obstacles that those artists
overcame to gain recognition;
(4) the need for African-American students to have greater
access to and participation in music education in schools
across the United States; and
(5) Black History Month and African-American Music
Appreciation Month as an important time--
(A) to celebrate the impact of the African-American
musical heritage on the musical heritage of the United
States; and
(B) 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.
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