BMAC presents Juneteenth Summit to celebrate Black Music Month

Saluting the joy and power of Black music. Commemorating freedom. Honoring the legacy of the Godfather of Soul, James Brown. That was the three-pronged celebration behind the “Say It Loud! I’m Black and I’m Proud!” Juneteenth Summit that took place on Saturday (June 21), hosted by the Black Music Action Coalition (BMAC), Primary Wave and the Universal Music Group Task Force for Meaningful Change.

The invite-only event was held at Brown’s estate, located 6 miles outside the legend’s boyhood town of Augusta, Georgia. The occasion also marked the fifth anniversaries of both BMAC and UMG’s Task Force. “Celebrating BMAC’s fifth anniversary and Black Music Month during Juneteenth weekend at the estate of the legendary James Brown was surreal,” said BMAC co-founder and CEO/president Willie “Prophet” Stiggers. “Mr. Brown released ‘Say It Loud – I’m Black and I’m Proud! in 1968 before the height of the Black Power Movement. He put it all on the line.”

Noting also that Brown kept slave shackles in his closet as a reminder of America’s dark history, Stiggers added, “While we were waiting for our 40 acres and a mule, Mr. Brown bought 70 acres and a private jet down the road from one of the most ruthlessly brutal plantations [Redcliffe Plantation] in the South. Our survival, our excellence and our joy; [are] a testament to the resilience of our people.”

Primary Wave’s vp of asset and creative Donna Grecco also commented on the late artist’s legacy. “James Brown was a larger-than-life icon; a trailblazer for Black artist entrepreneurship in the business of music. He tirelessly fought for racial justice. We can’t think of no better place to have co-hosted this celebration of Black excellence and this impactful discussion of the power of Black music than at the home of the Godfather of Soul.”

Executive coaches ferried 150 music dignitaries from Atlanta to Brown’s estate. Once there, attendees were treated to an opening reception featuring a tour of the estate and cocktails, a soul food barbecue with wine/beer tasting from local, Black-owned companies, followed by a panel discussion and music performances by Mali Wilson, T.I.’s son Buddy Red and Tiffany Evans.

BMAC board member Naima Cochrane moderated the panel discussion, which featured Amazon Rotation head of R&B and Hip Hop and BMAC executive leadership council member Sierra Lever, UMG general counsel/executive vp, business and legal affairs Jeff Harleston, artist manager and BMAC board member Caron Veazey and Brown’s daughter Dr. Deanna Thomas. Also in attendance was another Brown daughter, Yamma Brown.

Sharing a key lesson learned from her dad, Thomas declared, “Never sell. That’s what my father taught us. The music was the gold, and he knew that — even without a formal education. He always said, ‘It’s not ‘show business,’ it’s ‘show and business.’ 75% of what you do is business. If you don’t have that together, you’ve already given away your 25%.”

Among other soundbite takeaways from the discussion:

Harleston: “Bad Bunny owns all of his stuff. He made a decision and had the discipline to see it through. That’s empowerment.”

Lever: “Artists today haven’t always experienced what it means to lift someone else up. J. Cole collaborating with Lil Durk — that was exposure to a new kind of message and responsibility.”

Cochrane: “Black music is not a monolith. The landscape is changing, and there’s a learning curve on all sides — artists, execs and consumers.”

Veazey: “There’s not one single platform anymore. That fragmentation makes it harder for meaningful music to cut through.”

In addition to BMAC, sponsors of the Juneteenth Summit included Universal Music Group’s Global Impact team, Billboard and Destination Augusta. Here’s a gallery of photos taken at the event.