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Black Music Month

Black Music Appreciation Month is an annual celebration of African-American music in the United States. It was initiated as Black Music Month by President Jimmy Carter who, on June 7, 1979, decreed that June would be the month of Black music.

In 2009, the commemoration was given its current name by President Barack Obama. In his 2016 proclamation, Obama noted that African-American music and musicians have helped the country "to dance, to express our faith through song, to march against injustice, and to defend our country's enduring promise of freedom and opportunity for all".

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The Journey Continues

Joanne "J-Bird" Phillips: As a Brain Tumor Survivor — Photo Credit: Shefik

Photo Credit: Shefik

June 16, 2018 Resilience

In 2012, Joanne "J-Bird" Phillips founded J-Bird Music for the Arts, with the vision of reviving arts programs by providing much needed equipment, instruments, and resources in order to enrich the lives of youths through arts education.

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Augostina Mallous: Dreams Can Really Impact My Life and How I Live — Photo Credit: Shefik

Photo Credit: Shefik

July 10, 2018 Dreams

Augostina Mallous was the reigning Miss New Jersey's Outstanding Teen 2017 through Miss New Jersey's Outstanding Teen Scholarship Program (Miss America's Outstanding Teen).

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Michael Alig: Nobody Should Overdose — Photo Credit: Shefik

Photo Credit: Shefik

November 2, 2017 Death

Michael Alig is an artist and party promoter, who served almost 17 years in prison for manslaughter. He was a co-founder and ringleader of the Club Kids, a group of New York City clubgoers that became a cultural phenomenon during the 1980s and 1990s.

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Billy Sherwood of YES: The Sentimental Value of Music and What It Means to People — Photo Credit: Shefik

Photo Credit: Shefik

July 28, 2018 Sentimentality

Billy Sherwood is mostly known for his time as a member of progressive rock band YES. He is also a member of the band Asia. Sherwood's godfather was the television icon Milton Berle, and his father was a famous musician, who has worked with Frank Sinatra.

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Doreen Bazile: Without Change, Life Would Be Boring — Photo Credit: Shefik

Photo Credit: Shefik

August 20, 2016 Change

Doreen Bazile is a social worker. She sees many different patients with distinct needs and issues, regarding spirituality and religion, family conflict, loss, grief, bereavement, and more.

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