With the beginning of June, Black Music Month has also officially begun.
Recognized each year, the month honors the influence of Black musicians across a variety of genres, including gospel, rap, rock, soul, blues, R&B and jazz.
In honor of Black Music Month, here are five available events dedicated to the month that people can attend.
(615) Day: For this year’s Black Music Month, the National Museum of African American Music is offering a variety of events for guests to attend. Tomorrow, on June 15th, the museum will be hosting (615) Day in Downtown Nashville. Through the event, performers of their “Bridge to Broadway” event will be showcased and Music City itself will also be celebrated. Spanning from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., the cost of admission for the first hour will refer to the name of the event, costing $6.15 for entrance.
The event is part of multiple events set to be held by NMAAM for Black Music Month. Along with the “Bridge to Broadway” performances, a Juneteenth Community Day, a hip-hop Pride event and a special event dedicated to Ballroom culture and Black music with a special appearance by Billy Porter will also be held.
Straight Flexin’, No Plexin: Presented by Rice University, the Houston Public Library and the CCM Foundation, an immersive exhibit dedicated to hip hop pioneers is currently being held at the Vinson Branch Library at Hiram Clarke Multi-Service Center in Texas.
The exhibit features a variety of memorabilia from musicians such as Pimp C, Swishahouse, E-40 and Scotty ATL. All items on view are reportedly sourced from CERCL’s Hip Hop Archival Collection.
Reel to Reel: Billy Preston: That’s the Way God Planned It: The Recording Academy will be celebrating both Black Music Month and Pride Month with a variety of public and exclusive events. Scheduled to take place on June 29 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., the Billy Preston “Reel to Reel” program will screen the “Billy Preston: That’s the Way God Planned It” documentary.
Featuring appearances by Billy Porter and collaborators such as Ringo Starr, the documentary traces the career of the legendary session and solo artist.
District Treasures: Celebrating Black Music Month: The National Museum of African American History and Culture will be holding an interactive session, allowing attendees to take part in a one-on-one session with preservation experts.
Through the program, they can learn more about family heirlooms and how they relate to Black music such as gospel, jazz, blues, rock and roll, R&B, country and hip-hop.
WHQR Music Festival: For its third annual rendition, station WHQR will be holding a free music festival in honor of Black Music Month. Set to be hosted on Juneteenth at 7 p.m., the festival will feature performances by local Black musicians.
The event will be led by Rhonda Bellamy, CEO for the Arts Council of Wilmington and New Hanover County. Jazz, gospel and soul artists like Kim Pacheo, Richard Wright Jr, Monnie Swepson and Aaron Leathers will perform at the festival.
