Well, it’s about time. Thank you, Spotify!
Spotify will celebrate Black creators beyond the month of February with the launch of “Black History Is Happening Now.” Artists, creatives and organizations who are working to create change for communities of color will tell stories and raise topics through video, podcasts and music curation. Spotify will pay tribute to the musicians who have paved the way and the artists who will define what’s next.
The idea for the initiative was developed in partnership with Saturday Morning, the self-described “creative initiative” formed in 2016 by leading African American creative directors Geoffrey Edwards, Jayanta Jenkins, Keith Cartwright and Jimmy Smith. Their mission – “… help to promote peace, generate love, raise awareness of injustice and fights for fairness to create change and understanding between all races…”
Working with the Stockholm-based company, Saturday Morning suggested an idea that would disrupt the the idea of Black History Month by envisioning a year long program that would accentuate the power of music and the contributions of African American’s to music.
The creatives believed that paying tribute to black history needed more than a month (and with February being the shortest month in the year, that it was not a significant time to have impact). Throughout the “Black History is Happening Now” campaign, playlists and conversations on the dedicated hub will change as artists contribute to the platform.
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“Black History is Happening Now” provides a living platform to chronicle, share and learn about the ongoing and ever changing contributions of African Americans as seen and experienced through the lens of music. Spotify is an ideal platform to bring these stories to life,” Jenkins said in a statement.
Enter Monáe
This month, Janelle Monáe emerges as Spotify’s first “Black History Is Happening Now” curator and gives fans an inside look at black history and black culture through her eyes. The hub will feature playlists featuring artists who have influenced her music, favorite up-and-coming artists and a documentary film that pays homage to the history and narrative of Afrofuturism in partnership with author/filmmaker and Chicago resident, Ytasha L. Womack.
“I am thrilled to be teaming up with Spotify to help kick off an important new initiative celebrating black history and culture through Black History is Happening Now,” said Monáe. “I’ve always been excited and inspired to try to redefine how we’re seen. It’s important to me to celebrate black history year round and with Spotify’s commitment to honoring the black community all year long and showcasing artists and organizations who are dedicated to imparting change. I felt it was the perfect platform to share my story of ‘Afrofuturism’ and express my vision and creative ideas.” Take a look at the trailer below:
Womack said to Reel Chicago, “Teams with Spotify were familiar with my book Afrofuturism: The World of Black Sci Fi and Fantasy Culture. They thought that a combination of my work in Afrofuturism and music writing background were perfect fits to interview Janelle Monae and co-curate ‘The Black to the Future’ playlist.”
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Fans will also be invited to participate in a slate of programs that support communities of color in the music industry. Spotify’s “Sound Up Bootcamp” will provide ten aspiring female podcasters of color with resources to develop their craft. The program will take place in New York City from June 25-29, 2018 and will be led by radio and podcast veterans Rekha Murthy and Graham Griffith, and focus on storytelling, production, marketing and more.
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Applicants will have the chance to pitch Spotify and three pilots from the program will receive funding and the chance to have their podcasts appear on Spotify. Applications are open now through 4/10 and can be found here.
Spotify is also launching the “Black History Is Happening Now” Fellowship, an entry-level position which will give a young person who is passionate about black history and culture the opportunity to join the Shows + Editorial team at Spotify. Applications are open now through 4/17 and can be found here.
You can access the “Black History Is Happening Now” hub here.
Contact Colin Costello at colin@reelchicago.com or follow him on Twitter @colincostello10.
