HR 112
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Date of Hearing: June 22, 2026
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON RULES
Blanca Pacheco, Chair
HR 112 (McKinnor) – As Introduced May 6, 2026
SUBJECT: Black Music Month.
SUMMARY: Designates June 2026 as Black Music Month; and, recognizes the contributions of
Black people to the musical heritage of California and the United States, and the wide array of
talented and popular Black musical artists, composers, songwriters, and musicians who are
underrecognized for contributions to music. Specifically, this resolution makes the following
legislative findings:
1) Spirituals, ragtime, blues, jazz, gospel, classical composition, and countless other categories
of music have been created or enhanced by Black people and are etched into the history and
culture of the United States.
2) The first Africans transported to the United States came from a variety of ethnic groups with
a long history of distinct and cultivated musical traditions, brought musical instruments with
them, and built new musical instruments in the United States.
3) Jazz, arguably the most creative and complex music that the United States has produced,
combines the musical traditions of Black people in New Orleans with the creative flexibility
of blues music.
4) The term “rhythm and blues” originated in the late 1940s as a way to describe recordings
marketed to Black people and replaced the term “race music.” Lyrical themes in rhythm and
blues often encapsulate the Black experience of pain, the quest for freedom, joy, triumphs,
failures, relationships, economics, and aspiration and were popularized by artists such as Ray
Charles, Ruth Brown, Etta James, and Otis Redding.
5) The National Museum of African American Music in Nashville, Tennessee, serves as the
official home of Black Music Month and is dedicated to preserving and celebrating the
central role of Black music in American culture.
6) A recent study by the National Arts Education Data Project found that 49 percent of all
students attending schools with a predominately African American student population do not
participate in school music programs.
7) Black students often receive a music education that does not reflect their own culture.
Students of color face many barriers to accessing music education and training, especially
students in large urban public schools.
FISCAL EFFECT: This resolution is keyed non-fiscal by Legislative Counsel.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION:
Support
None on file
 HR 112
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Opposition
None on file
Analysis Prepared by: Michael Erke / RLS. / (916) 319-2800