And yet, as Alberga explains in her recent BBC Radio 3 documentary A History of Black Classical Music, there are references to black musicians in Europe going all the way back to the 12th century.

See full article by Steven Lewis on how African American music is a vital part of America's musical heritage. Explore a selection of the Smithsonian's wide range of collections preserving the material ...

April Eaton sits down with Dion Brown. President and CEO of the National Museum of African American Music, and Noelle Taylor, ...