Curated by Gerald B. Moore, Branch Manager/Adult Services Librarian
The month of June is recognized as Black Music Appreciation Month. Created by President Jimmy Carter in 1979, this month celebrates the African American musical contributions and influences in our nation’s cultural heritage.
Originally called National Black Music Month, this annual celebration and acknowledgement of African American musical offerings to the world’s melodious landscape is regularly highlighted by presidential proclamations.
This year in recognition of Black Music Appreciation Month, we are offering a beginner’s primer pathfinder on the history of the groundbreaking and barrier shattering Motown Records by highlighting audiobooks, eBooks, print books, audio recordings, and films available from the Charleston County Public Library digital collection and library catalog. Library cardholders are able to access these items for free. With just a few clicks, library users can learn comprehensive information on the history of Motown Records, read detailed biographies about recording artists from its incredibly vast roster of musicians and listen to recordings that helped define the sound of a generation.
By reviewing this curated list, library users can learn the stories behind some of the most popular songs as well as experience the Pop and Soul music dubbed as the “Motown sound”. You can access all the resources in the attached document below.