It is an honor and a pleasure to celebrate one of the most significant contributions to the

music industry since its inception … black music. We are an indelible part of the amazing

music industry with a legacy that cannot be denied.

There are so many black music genres and subgenres that are too much to cover for this

particular issue. And I have to say; regrettably, this is our first issue dedicated to black

music, I can’t even begin to say why that is, but it’s better late than never, right?

To that end, it is also our 27th anniversary (June 1995). I cannot believe how fast 27 years

have gone by, but it’s not so hard to believe with over 25,000 stories on the site alone.

There have been a LOT of deaths reported over the years, a LOT, and I am thrilled to be able

to celebrate our achievements on the other end of that.

There were many times I wanted to quit, and there was one time that I did for almost

a year. Still, I am forever married to black music. The ups, the downs, the pains, the

struggles, the losses, and the victories all derived from many super talented artists, writers,

producers, and more for one incredible musical journey that is … black music.

Unfortunately, there have been some years where we, as an industry, have let Black Music

Month lapse, seemingly sweeping our contributions under the rug to our dismay, but that

can’t happen anymore. As the biggest black-owned industry trade, we have to honor the

various genres of Black music as our duty.

In this issue, we cover blues, R&B, hip hop, the resurgence of the 90s, jazz, and gospel music. Of

course, we would have loved to cover even more, but we can only get so much in a few pages.

I want to thank our writers: A. Scott Galloway, Hassahn Liggins, and Lin Woods, for this

issue as we focus on the history of black music.

Every time we try to move the magazine to digital-only, we get another request to do a print

issue, so we will see how the rest of the year goes for Celebrating Women of Color in Media. In

the meantime, enjoy. This issue is also available for a digital release and copies for sale.

Thank you for your continued support