White House celebrates Black Music

Jet, July 14, 2003

* WHITE HOUSE CELEBRATES BLACK MUSIC: President George W. Bush applauds during the Celebration of Black Music Month performance in the East Room of the White House. Joining the president are (l-r) Panama President Mireya Elisa Moscoso, first lady Laura Bush and Secretary of State Colin Powell. The performance had a Harlem Renaissance-inspired theme and the invited Black musicians, athletes and other dignitaries were treated to the music of Duke Ellington interpreted by The Harlem Jazz Museum Artists with jazz legend Herb Jeffries (below, 1) and the cast members of George C. Wolfe's Broadway musical Harlem Song who included (r) B.J. Crosby and Charles Wallace. In signing a proclamation which designated June 2003 as Black Music Month, Bush said: "The commemoration of this month expresses our nation's pride in the music that Black Americans have created and have shared with the world."

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