Black Music Month 2010

Part III

This is the third in our current series for June – Black Music Month. During these four weeks, we are dedicated to the recognition, perpetuation and preservation of our Urban music industries. As we celebrate Black Music Month 2010, we reflect back on the progress we've made as a nation, as a society and as an industry.

We need to continue to recognize our music legends, young and old, who have been at the forefront of the struggle. Men and women who do not believe that challenges should be diluted … who have been involved in America's indigenous music. Unfortunately, ours is a culture that often honors mere fame far more than it does hard achievement. As we celebrate Black Music Month 2010, we reflect back on the progress we've made as a nation, as a society and as an industry.

The Music Investment

Despite the sagging economy, it’s still an exciting time for the entertainment industry, according to a money management firm in White Plains, NY. On one hand you have an explosion of technology. On the other hand the margins and profits are smaller. There are still mergers and joint ventures taking place. When two or more of these companies come together as a successful fit, not only will they make investors money, they will be situated to play an important profitable part in the future.

The consensus among several knowledgeable African-American portfolio managers is that while consumer spending dropped, some artists and music are still selling. The television and movies sector -- which includes cable, motion pictures, video and record production and publishing -- is included in the overall entertainment numbers.

Meanwhile, back at the casinos, one and two-armed bandits collected $28 billion from feckless gamblers. Those figures all reflect money spent in a one-way proposition – gone from your pocket. Don’t worry about it. That was yesterday. The investment climate today, however, will allow African-American investors to pick up their heels and make money at the same time. So it’s not just music, but entertainment overall that we need to examine as part of Black Music Month.

Black Music Month exists because of a need … a need to recognize the contributors. The artists, writers, publishers, executives, programmers, air talent, promoters, journalists, educators, students and even members of the general public who join with us each year to acknowledge and recognize the immense contributions of African-American music and radio to our changing culture.

We are still here in the struggle together. We didn't choose to be, but we are. Unfortunately, some that would like to have been here have been called away.

Generational Obligations

Our concern should be that the generation which replaces the current one will be better, wiser and able to make its own contributions. The new generation needs to prepare by setting up institutions that will continue to benefit them and their children as they prepare to grow old and live longer than any other generation. In today's tough economic times, they can no longer spend what they want or cut their own taxes. The ultimate baby boomer philosophy of "we want to have it all" is gone. Groups have been forced to change, yet they're not a generation that has had to deal with the reality of sacrifice nor fully understands the benefits of hard work.

This is the same generation that refuses to step aside and sees itself as part of change that it still passionately believes will continue. The origins of the entertainment culture can be traced back to live shows, vinyl records and AM radio, all of which made possible for the first time the development of a genuinely mass-musical culture. But until very recently, entertainment was a luxury in which we could indulge upon only on occasion. Now, thanks to new media, it is a daily reality, perhaps a necessity, and certainly, in the minds of many of us, an entitlement.

We know the clock is ticking. During the remainder of Black Music Month 2010, we should continue to touch on and remember distinguished people and events from all sides of our industries. Some of those who we need to recognize this year are people whose efforts and contributions have enriched lives and whose sacrifices might have gone unnoticed:

There is a chance that this generation may reclaim its earlier legacy. They could have a second coming in terms of social idealism and find new ways to contribute that mean something beyond themselves. In some realms, this new generation already takes pride in what they have bequeathed.

This generation didn't invent the genre, but they were the fans who made it so durable. Even as music remains youth-oriented, today's young "music freaks" can't escape the feeling that they wanted something more. They now have to admit that both the performers and the times have changed. The explosion of energy that happened earlier is just a memory.

Although some progress has been made, even since last year we still live in a time and country where many of us continue to be deliberately isolated, racially classified and often systematically deprived of both the resources and the opportunities to succeed. For too long and despite our obvious talent and gifts, many of us have been allowed to only assume limited roles in our industries. But we can’t give in or give up.

Black Music Month allows us to reflect on the rich history of the radio and music industries that conveys from one generation to another its lessons and obligations. We remind you that the journey is just as important as the destination.

In a very real sense, we are part of the modern social justice movement and those of us who respond to change need to meet the challenge so that we can make a difference. The world is watching both our achievements and our failures. Many who are part of our legacy were born into a world divided by color … a world which offered them little and expected even less. But we fooled them -- again.

Word.