posted on: Wednesday, February 22, 2012

by Niki Jagpal


February is Black History Month and yesterday President Barack Obama marked the occasion at the White House by convening some of the best-known blues musicians of our time. B.B. King, Mick Jagger, Buddy Guy, “Trombone Shorty” Andrews and Jeff Beck were among those who gathered for the White House’s “In Performance at the White House” series (what I would have given to be there!) Titled “At the Crossroads: A History of the Blues in America,” the event was live streamed and will be broadcast on PBS stations on February 27th at 9:00 pm for anyone who missed this incredible event.

The concert was amazing, with the president singing along with some of the musicians. But importantly, the president and performers noted the history and evolution of the blues. As President Obama stated, the blues spread from the South through Chicago, was born from the pain of slavery and segregation and yet, it exemplifies the fact that “no one goes through life without both joy and pain, triumph and sorrow.” He continued: “The blues reminds us that we’ve been through tougher times before. When we find ourselves at a crossroads, we don’t shy away from our problems. We own them. We face up to them. We deal with them. We sing about them.”

It was great to hear the white musicians talk about how the blues had helped them define themselves, influenced their music and the important role that this African American genre of music played in the evolution of British and broader rock and roll. And the president’s statements noted earlier reminded me of how powerful the arts and culture are as a means for people to express and identify themselves.

The blues in particular are emblematic of how the arts are a means for marginalized communities to influence broader society and help break down barriers to communication. Through the blues, African Americans were able to establish and foster mutual ground and a new way of connecting with their white counterparts. In the words of Holly Sidford, author of NCRP’s Fusing Art, Culture and Social Change:

"Culture and the arts are essential means by which all people explain their experience, shape their identity and imagine the future. In their constancy and their variety, culture and the arts allow us to explore our individual humanity, and to see our society whole. People need the arts to make sense of their lives, to know who they are. But our democracy needs the arts, too. The arts animate civil society. They stretch our imagination. They increase our compassion for others by providing creative ways for us to understand and deal with differences. The arts protect and enrich the liberty, the human dignity and the public discourse that are at the heart of a healthy democracy"

Everyone at the White House seemed to understand some of what Sidford is talking about. And it’s now time for philanthropy to address the egregiously imbalanced way that it practices arts and culture philanthropy. As Sidford notes, there are emergent art forms, mainly at the grassroots level, that seek to address persistent socioeconomic inequities and advance justice and equity in our society. And yet, arts institutions that provide access to and are available to primarily elite, upper class and predominantly white audiences with budgets of over $5 million capture more than half of the sector’s revenue (this despite the fact such organizations comprise a mere 2 percent of the arts and culture organizations of our country).

Arts and culture funders would benefit from some of what was said at the White House last night, including first lady Michelle Obama who said that the blues is: “as deeply American – and as deeply human – as just about any form of music that we’ve got in this country” that “stirs our souls and it helps us rise above all our struggles. And that’s why this music series is so deeply rooted in the American experience. That’s why it has traveled from the Deep South into every part of the country and just about every form of music that we hear today.”

So there you have it – the blues, social justice, democracy and philanthropy’s opportunity to contribute to this important means of overcoming difference and advancing justice. And check out YouTube for video snippets in the interim; you just might be inspired to consider how you go about your arts and culture grantmaking by someone’s music (or the president’s singing).

PS – Does anyone know why Black History Month is February, the shortest month of the year?


Niki Jagpal is research and policy director at the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy (NCRP).