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St. Paul council proclaims June Black Music Month, honors local artists
Summary
The St. Paul City Council unanimously adopted a resolution recognizing June as Black Music Month and honored local musicians and organizations, including Walker West Music Academy, True Art Speaks and individual artists. Speakers described music as a source of healing, history and economic opportunity for the city.
The St. Paul City Council on Wednesday adopted Resolution 25-9-23 recognizing June as Black Music Month and named local artists and organizations for special recognition, voting 7-0 to approve the ceremonial measure.
The resolution and an in‑chamber recognition ceremony spotlighted artists and local cultural organizations that council members and honorees said have sustained music education, performance and cultural preservation in Saint Paul. Council Member Buie introduced the resolution and the council adopted it without opposition.
Council President Rebecca Naker said the ceremony “establish[es] this Black Music Month out of the legacy” dating back to 1979 and framed the honor as both celebration and preservation. Multiple honorees addressed the chamber.
Reverend Carl Walker of Walker West Music Academy said the city’s musical institutions are community connectors. “Music is what brings our city together,” Walker said. Walker West’s executive director, Braxton Halsey, described organizational growth and program capacity: he told the council the academy’s revenue rose from roughly $450,000 to about $3,000,000, that Walker West serves more than 300 students per week and about 5,700 program participants per year, and that the academy recently completed a $14,000,000 facility the organization calls a “cultural destination and community resource.”
Other honorees who spoke included Tish Jones, founder and executive director of True Art Speaks; Jamayla Pettiford, an educator and recovery‑services worker who noted a family history of musical contribution; DJ Advanced, a Saint Paul native and DJ; and Gloria Sal Martin (DJ What?), who traced local hip‑hop history and the city’s contributions to broader Minnesota music scenes.
Council members used the occasion to underscore the city’s ongoing investments and programs. The council president and several members highlighted the Saint Paul Get Down concert series and other summer events that will feature recognized artists. Vice President Kim and Council Member Ye both offered personal remarks of appreciation to the artists and described the award as generational and community‑building.
The measure was adopted as a ceremonial resolution; no policy or funding changes were attached. The council took photos with honorees after the recognition and moved on to other agenda business.
The recognition comes ahead of a calendar of summer events in Saint Paul that the presenters said will feature some of the honorees and provide free or low‑cost opportunities for public performance.
