The beginning of President Barack Obama’s final summer in White House will ring a celebratory note. As his presidency draws to a close, the president, in an official document published on May 31, declared June 2016 to be African-American Music Appreciation Month. In his proclamation, Obama calls African- American music “among the most-innovative & powerful art that the world has ever known” and a “vital part” of America’s heritage.

He declared June a month to honor artists who, through music, “bring-us together, show us a true-reflection of ourselves, & inspire us to reach-for the harmony which lies beyond our-toughest struggles”. Obama also calls on “public officials, educators, and-people of the US to observe this month with appropriate activities & programs that raise-awareness and foster appreciation of-music that’s composed, arranged, or-performed by African-Americans.”

Obama has always shared his true love for pop culture & HipHop music throughout his presidency and for black artists like Mos Def and Kendrick Lamar as well as Erykah Badu and Mary J. Blige. At the top-of the year, he even went so far as to invite all sorts of artists, from Chance the Rapper to J. Cole to Nicki Minaj to Pusha T, DJ Khaled and Rick Ross, to the White House to discuss the “My Brother’s Keeper initiative.” This was a way for the nation to address what he views as persistent opportunity-gaps faced by boys as well as young men of color.

While June was originally initially named “Black Music Month” back in 1979 by Jimmy Carter, President Obama felt that the new name was more suitable and gave the proclamation a more personal, momentous weight as our first African-American president.