Feature Article   Profiles in Excellence: A Celebration of the African American Musical Legacy Printed By: Thornton Press LLC by Melissa Minners               February marks the celebration of Black History Month, a month in which we celebrate the contributions made to industry and culture by African-Americans in every aspect of our lives throughout history.  Stop & Shop, a national food chain, in conjunction with the Colgate-Palmolive Company have been marking this celebration in various ways throughout the years on their websites and in various publications distributed in local Stop & Shop stores.  Issue 16 of one such publication, Profiles in Excellence, features A Celebration of the African-American Musical Legacy.             In this issue, we learn the influence African-Americans have had in the development of different genres of music.  We begin with the work songs of the slaves, spiritual songs whose very purpose was to preserve the African culture that was being oppressed under slavery.  With the end of slavery, the plantation spirituals evolved into a more jubilant style of music featuring spirited vocals and clapping, celebrating religion.  This new form of music became known as gospel.             After the Civil War, many former slaves were faced with the realization that, although free men on paper, they had yet to be accepted as Americans.  Faced with having to find jobs and dealing with the harsh realities of racism, a new sort of music evolved known as the blues.  This musical genre is perhaps the most influential, having been credited with the birth of rock and roll, jazz and soul.              Eventually, an improvisational form of blues music appeared as countrywide traveling blues shows emerged, creating a wider acceptance for what was then called “black music.”  This new style of the blues was called ragtime and featured a ragged or syncopated rhythm.  After World War I, a more creative version of music evolved.  A fusion of blues, ragtime and various other popular musics of the time created the new sound known as jazz.             After World War II, as African Americans began to move farther north in a search for better jobs that paid more money, music began to take on an urban flare.  This new sound, rhythm and blues, better known as R&B, took the world by storm, spanning racial boundaries in its popularity.  R&B proved incredibly versatile over the years as artists became more creative, infusing the style with gospel to create funk, and eventually leading to the creation of new genres such as disco, punk and more.             Rock and roll definitely has its roots in the African-American culture – the blues and R&B influences are immediately apparent mixed in with snatches of country.  Yet another musical style that spanned the racial barriers, rock and roll became the symbol of the Civil Rights Movement, allowing blacks and whites to come together to enjoy a sound that was both new and exciting.             With the approach of the 1980’s, a lighter sound became popular.  Known as pop music, this genre included a wide range of artists with an equally broad range of sounds and influences.  However, as the popularity of rock and roll and pop became a permanent part of American culture, there were those who felt that the African-American voice was lost.  A new style of music emerged whose roots can be traced back to the call and response style used by slaves.  Taking its name from the slang word for conversation, rap provided an outlet for the frustrated and oppressed to express themselves vocally.  Eventually, this genre combined with R&B rhythms and the hip hop phenomenon began.             It is obvious to me that African Americans have had an incredible influence on the music of today.  Profiles in Excellence: A Celebration of the African-American Musical Legacy is a terrific publication that drives that fact home. Filled with 15 pages of pictures, definitions and a compelling tale of history, it’s available free of charge at all Stop & Shop locations and on their website at www.stopandshop.com.  I recommend this publication to anyone with children as it is a great way to teach the leaders of tomorrow the history that has helped shape the world of today.   For feedback, visit our message board or e-mail the author at talonkarrde@g-pop-net.