Bill > HRes618

This Resolution officially recognizes August 11, 2023, as the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, acknowledging its origins on that date in 1973 with Clive "DJ Kool Herc" Campbell's "Back to School Jam" in the Bronx, New York, where he innovated disk jockeying techniques that would evolve into the hip-hop genre, with "DJ" and "MC" becoming common abbreviations for "disk jockey" and "master of ceremonies." The resolution highlights hip-hop's significant impact on American culture beyond music, influencing fashion, art, film, and dance, and emphasizes its creation through Black ingenuity as a vital part of African-American and broader American culture, built upon foundations of blues, jazz, gospel, and soul music. It further notes hip-hop's continuous evolution and adaptation across different regions and its role as a creative outlet for storytelling, social commentary, and advocacy, contributing immensely to the economy and providing opportunities for economic mobility, particularly for Black communities, while also encouraging Members of the House of Representatives and local governments to plan activities and foster partnerships to celebrate and expand the essence of hip-hop culture.