,,iii #aafth ,,congress #ast ,session ,s4 ,,res4 #bfd ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,june #be1 #bjai ,mr4 ,booker 7for himself1 ,mr4 ,jones1 ,mr4 ,carper1 ,mr4 ,coons1 ,ms4 ,klobuchar1 ,mrs4 ,feinstein1 ,mr4 ,durbin1 ,mr4 ,kaine1 ,mr4 ,brown1 and ,ms4 ,harris7 submitted the following resolution2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,health1 ,education1 ,labor1 and ,pensions ,,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 students1 and expressing support for the designation of ,june as ,african-,american ,music ,appreciation ,month4 ,whereas spirituals1 ragtime1 blues1 jazz1 gospel1 classical composition1 and countless other categories of music have been created or enhanced by ,african ,americans1 and are etched into the history and culture of the ,united ,states2 ,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 traditions1 brought musical instruments with them1 and built new musical instruments in the ,united ,states2 ,whereas spirituals were a distinct response to the conditions of ,african slavery in the ,united ,states1 and expressed the longing of enslaved people for spiritual and bodily freedom1 for safety from harm and evil1 and for relief from the hardships of slavery2 ,whereas jazz1 arguably the most creative and complex music that the ,united ,states has produced1 combines the musical traditions of ,african ,americans in ,new ,orleans with the creative flexibility of blues music2 ,whereas country music is based on a combination of musical influences1 including the rhythmic influences and musical instruments of ,african immigrants1 and was performed by musicians such as ,de,ford ,bailey1 who was the first ,african ,american to star in the ,grand ,ole ,opry2 ,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 #aibjs and ,so ,what by ,miles ,davis in the late #aiejs2 ,whereas talented jazz pianist and vocalist ,nathaniel ,adams ,coles recorded more than #aej singles and sold more than #ej million records2 ,whereas the talent of ,ella ,fitzgerald1 winner of #ac ,grammys1 is epitomized by a rendition of 8,summertime01 a bluesy record accompanied by melodic vocals2 ,whereas ,natalie ,cole1 the daughter of ,nathaniel ,adams ,coles1 achieved musical success in the mid-#aigjs as a rhythm and blues artist with the hits ,this ,will ,be and ,unforgettable2 ,whereas1 in the #aidjs1 bebop evolved through jam sessions1 which included trumpeter ,dizzy ,gillespie and the alto saxophonist ,charlie ,parker1 that were held at clubs in ,harlem1 ,new ,york1 such as ,minton's ,playhouse2 ,whereas earlier classical singers such as ,elizabeth ,taylor ,greenfield1 one of the first widely known ,african-,american vocalists1 and other early ,african-,american singing pioneers1 including ,nellie ,mitchell ,brown1 ,marie ,selika ,williams1 ,rachel ,walker ,turner1 ,marian ,anderson1 and ,flora ,batson ,bergen1 paved the way for female ,african-,american concert singers who have achieved great popularity during the last #ej years2 ,whereas the term rhythm and blues originated in the late #aidjs as a way to describe recordings marketed to ,african ,americans and replaced the term race music2 ,whereas lyrical themes in rhythm and blues often encapsulate the ,african-,american experience of pain1 the quest for freedom1 joy1 triumphs and failures1 relationships1 economics1 and aspiration1 and were popularized by artists such as ,ruth ,brown1 ,etta ,james1 and ,otis ,redding2 ,whereas soul music originated in the ,african-,american community in the late #aiejs and early #aifjs and combines elements of ,african-,american gospel music1 rhythm and blues1 and jazz1 and was popularized by artists such as ,aretha ,franklin1 ,james ,brown1 ,ray ,charles1 ,sam ,cooke1 and ,jackie ,wilson2 ,whereas ,motown1 founded as a record label in #aiei1 evolved into a distinctive style known for the ,motown ,sound1 a blend of pop and soul musical stylings made popular by prominent ,black artists such as ,marvin ,gaye1 ,james ,mason1 and ,mary ,wells2 ,whereas1 in the early #aigjs1 the musical style of disco emerged and was popularized by programs such as ,soul ,train and by artists such as ,donna ,summer2 ,whereas reggae is a genre of music that originated in ,jamaica in the late #aifjs and incorporates some of the musical elements of rhythm and blues1 jazz1 mento1 calypso1 and ,african music1 and was popularized by artists such as ,bob ,marley2 ,whereas rock and roll was developed from ,african-,american musical styles such as gospel and rhythm and blues1 and was popularized by artists such as ,chuck ,berry1 ,bo ,diddley1 and ,jimi ,hendrix2 ,whereas rap1 arguably the most complex and influential form of hip-hop culture1 combines elements of the ,african-,american musical tradition 7blues1 jazz1 and soul7 with ,caribbean calypso1 dub1 and dance hall reggae2 ,whereas the development and popularity of old style rap combined confident beats with wordplay and storytelling1 highlighting the struggle of ,african-,american youth growing up in underresourced neighborhoods2 ,whereas contemporary rhythm and blues1 which originated in the late #aigjs and combines elements of pop1 rhythm and blues1 soul1 funk1 hip hop1 gospel1 and electronic dance music was popularized by artists such as ,whitney ,houston and ,aaliyah2 ,whereas ,prince ,rogers ,nelson1 who was known for electric performances and wide vocal range1 pioneered music that integrated a wide variety of styles1 including funk1 rock1 contemporary rhythm and blues1 new wave1 soul1 psychedelia1 and pop2 ,whereas a recent study by the ,department of ,education found that only #bh percent of ,african-,american students receive any kind of arts education2 ,whereas ,african-,american students scored the lowest of all ethnicities in the most recent ,national ,assessment for ,educational ,progress arts assessment2 ,whereas students who are eligible for the school lunch program established under the ,richard ,b4 ,russell ,national ,school ,lunch ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #agea et seq47 have significantly lower scores on the music portion of the ,national ,assessment for ,educational ,progress arts assessment than students that are ineligible for that program1 which suggests that students in low-income families are disadvantaged in the subject of music2 ,whereas a recent study showed that nearly #b_/c of music ensemble students were ,white and middle class and only #ae percent were ,african-,american2 ,whereas the same study found that only #g percent of music teacher licensure candidates were ,african-,american2 and ,whereas students of color face many barriers to accessing music education and training1 especially students in large urban public schools3 ,now1 therefore1 be it ,that the ,senate recognizes-- 7#a7 the contributions of ,african ,americans to the musical heritage of the ,united ,states2 7#b7 the wide array of talented and popular ,african-,american musical artists1 composers1 songwriters1 and musicians who are underrecognized for contributions to music2 7#c7 the achievements1 talent1 and hard work of ,african-,american pioneer artists1 and the obstacles that those artists overcame to gain recognition2 7#d7 the need for ,african-,american students to have greater access to and participation in music education in schools across the ,united ,states2 and 7#e7 ,black ,history ,month and ,african-,american ,music ,appreciation ,month as an important time-- 7,a7 to celebrate the impact of the ,african-,american musical heritage on the musical heritage of the ,united ,states2 and 7,b7 to encourage greater access to music education so that the next generation may continue to greatly contribute to the musical heritage of the ,united ,states4