When We Talk About Black History We Must Include Music Black music is not only a thread in the fabric of African-American history, over time it has shaped many of the pop culture moments we see across societies. Black music is recognized nationally once a year during the month of June, but since the celebration began, the material we include in that category has evolved far beyond its foundation—and necessarily so. In 2009, former president Barack Obama renamed Black Music Month—created in 1979 by then-president Jimmy Carter—African-American Music Appreciation Month in an effort to expand knowledge of and recognition for the contributions of African-Americans across all music genres. As such, the legacy of music in the African-American community is a key part of our history and we can’t talk about one without discussing the other.