In celebration of Black Music Appreciation Month, The Blockson Collection at Temple University hosted a discussion with legendary Philadelphia-based songwriter Kenneth Gamble, who provided firsthand accounts of the city’s rich music heritage. Composer, music producer and community developer, Kenny Gamble himself was the one who first thought to institute a national Black Music Month. He and Earl Wright began the Black Music Association and the International Association of African American Music Foundation in the late 1970s, which led to former President Jimmy Carter declaring June as Black Music Month on June 7, 1979. Attorney and civil rights activist Vivienne Crawford was on hand to moderate the discussion, which was also a part of a calendar of Juneteenth events.
A collection of lectures featuring particularly prominent speakers, many of whom are guests to the university.
