June is African American Music Appreciation Month! Created by President Carter in 1979, the month celebrates the foundat...

June is African American Music Appreciation Month! Created by President Carter in 1979, the month celebrates the foundational work of Black American musicians in building the cornerstones of American culture. And perhaps no state has contributed more to the musical project of America than North Carolina. To take just one example, think of the smallish town of Kinston: it produced Nat Jones, Maceo Parker and his brother Melvin Parker and Dick Knight. These men helped James Brown build absolute funk masterpieces! And in this video, Choci Gray, host of annual Kinston community event The Chitlin Circuit, sheds light on the connection between Kinston’s rich black musical past and its connection to our future.