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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72" style='word-wrap:break-word'><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal>Wow, Ineko, I believe your comments are way off-base. Our President and a few other of our chapter members have already responded to your statements, and I think done so quite accurately and artfully, and better than I can do. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>However, I would just add that phrases like “white music” and “black music” are, at best, outdated, and at worst racist, depending on context. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Rock and roll would have never been born, had not a handful of generally white-owned radio stations began playing what were then called “race records” in the 1950s, and had not mostly white-owned record stores began to stock them for everyone to buy. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>A couple of decades or so ago, I remember when the American Music Awards introduced nominees and winners in categories such as: “Favorite Black Male Vocalist,” “Favorite Black Single,” “Favorite Black Album,” etc. Well they stopped doing that because of massive feedback from members of the community of all racial heritages. It is one thing to try to classify music as Rock or Country or Jazz or Folk or Hip-Hop or Rap or Punk, etc., but there is simply no reason to dismiss any form of music, or any other art form for that matter, because of the creator’s skin color or heritage. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The concert is called Stronger Together and it is a fundraiser for the Tampa Bay Chapter of the NFBF. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The only other thing I would add is that I believe the greatest rock and roll guitarist ever was Jimi Hendrix, a black man. May he rest in peace. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Dan Hicks, Treasurer<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Tampa Bay Chapter<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #E1E1E1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b>From:</b> NFBF-Tampa <nfbf-tampa-bounces@nfbnet.org> <b>On Behalf Of </b>Marion Gwizdala via NFBF-Tampa<br><b>Sent:</b> Tuesday, September 26, 2023 3:12 PM<br><b>To:</b> 'NFB of Florida Tampa Chapter List' <nfbf-tampa@nfbnet.org><br><b>Cc:</b> marion.gwizdala@verizon.net<br><b>Subject:</b> Re: [NFBF-Tampa] An Invitation to our Dress Rehearsal<o:p></o:p></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Yes, our Stronger Together band is very diverse! I believe 50% of our performers are black, 83 % are blind, 33-1/3% have a speech impairment, 50% are female, 17% practice an alternative spiritual Path, 33-1/3 have a high school education, 33-1/3 have some college, 18% have an advanced degree, and 100% are musically talented! We have been working on this show since May and the show will be as good as any you have been to in years! <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #E1E1E1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b>From:</b> NFBF-Tampa <<a href="mailto:nfbf-tampa-bounces@nfbnet.org">nfbf-tampa-bounces@nfbnet.org</a>> <b>On Behalf Of </b>Z'Leah Liburd via NFBF-Tampa<br><b>Sent:</b> Monday, September 25, 2023 7:18 PM<br><b>To:</b> NFB of Florida Tampa sChapter List <<a href="mailto:nfbf-tampa@nfbnet.org">nfbf-tampa@nfbnet.org</a>><br><b>Cc:</b> Z'Leah Liburd <<a href="mailto:nyirah17@gmail.com">nyirah17@gmail.com</a>><br><b>Subject:</b> Re: [NFBF-Tampa] An Invitation to our Dress Rehearsal<o:p></o:p></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal>It's pretty universally known that rock, Jaz and blues are all African American art forms. I'm sorry that you and your family won't be in attendance but the name of the concert and the convention as a whole is "Stronger Together", and this is a fundraiser for the Tampa Chapter, so if you won't be in attendance, I hope that you will consider donating.<o:p></o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></div></div></div></body></html>