Continuing our Black History Month coverage, I’d like to use this space to direct you to some of the most impactful resources I’ve found online. These are some of my favorites and well-deserving of your attention!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While doing some research for our BHM event guide<\/a>, I came across this amazing article from She Shreds that lists and shares details about over 100 Black women guitarists and bassists<\/a>. As someone who didn’t regularly see women play guitars on stage until I was 18, this piece was an incredible read, and one I wish I had come across much sooner. Representation is incredibly important when it comes to encouraging kids to dream big about what they can accomplish. By familiarizing ourselves with accomplished Black women musicians, we can help vanquish the false narrative that making music is and always has been a white man’s game. <\/p>\n\n\n\n She Shreds has created a fantastic resource to make it easy for us to educate ourselves about many of the important Black woman guitarists from the past century. They’ve included both well-known artists such as Sister Rosetta Tharpe, as well as many other artists that most of us don’t know, but definitely should. Along with each artist, they’ve included a photo or video, and a detailed description of what you need to know about them. The She Shreds team has done an incredible job of bringing together all these stories. I highly recommend you read through them all when you have the time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Keep in mind, that the artists mentioned in this article are ones who fit the specific category of Black women who play(ed) bass or guitar and were active before 2000. It doesn’t include those who played other instruments, vocalists, or anyone who started their career after 2000. If more recent artists were included, this list would be much, much (much!) longer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Here’s the link again to She Shreds’ 130 Historic Black Women Guitarists and Bassists You Need To Know<\/em><\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The National Museum of African American Music<\/a> opened to the public on January 30, 2021. “For non-African Americans,” says NMAAM President and CEO Henry Beecher Hicks, “I hope that they would realize that African Americans are at the center of American culture in a way that they maybe never considered.” The museum, located in Nashville, has been in the works for over 20 years. For those who aren’t able to check out the museum in person yet, the information about the exhibits is a great jumping-off point to research whichever genres or eras of music interest you most. CNN’s article about the museum<\/a> has a lot of good info as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\nNational Museum of African American Music Opening<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Emo Nite’s Racism in the Punk\/Alternative Scene<\/em> Panels<\/h2>\n\n\n\n