Community Music Center of Houston
11th Annual June Black Music Month Legacy Project
Legacy Project will also celebrate and honor four women whose work
shaped Houston’s Black musical life through teaching,
performance, and cultural memory.
Expires: June 8, 2026
HOUSTON, TX — Community Music Center of Houston (CMCH) announces the return of its annual Legacy Project, a Black Music Month celebration featuring the debut of the Firey String Sisters of New York City. Additionally, musicians, music educators, and artists whose work has shaped Houston’s Black cultural landscape will be honored. The celebration will kick off at 2 PM Sunday, June 7th, at the historic Eldorado Ballroom in the heart of Third Ward’s Cultural District with an art exhibit opening, followed by the Legacy Project concert at 4 pm.
Black Music Month (BMM) was established in 1978, by legendary producer Kenny Gamble, creator of the powerhouse label “Philadelphia International Records” along with Leon Huff. Dyana Williams (known as the mother of BMM), and radio broadcaster Ed Wright were co-founders of BMM as well. Gamble & Huff created an era of Philly Soul composing over 3,500 songs and many hits – that defined an era of socially conscious music. In 1979, President Jimmy Carter designated June as “Black Music Month” and the first BMM concert was held on the White House lawn.
CMCH’s Legacy Project brings together visual art, live music, public memory, and community celebration. The 2026 BMM program expands that vision across multiple venues and partners, beginning with an opening celebration honoring music pioneers, Dr. Anne Lundy, Dr. Ruth Stewart, Ina Zellers, and Dr. Gloria Quinlan—four women whose lives and work remind us that music is not only performed. It is taught, carried, remembered, and passed on.
In collaboration with Community Artists’ Collective,The Legacy Project art exhibition opening “Music is My Sanctuary,” will be presented in Eldorado Ballroom’s Dupree Room followed by a celebration and recognition of CMCH 2026 Legacy honorees and musical performance by the Firey String Sistas.
Be the first to experience the debut of Firey String Sistas of New York City, in the Eldorado Ballroom. It is a renowned cultural venue where all the greats have performed, including the late Jewel Brown, B. B. King, Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald and more. At the core of Firey String Sistas are three powerhouse women, Nioka Workman (founder,cello), Marlene Rice (violin) and Mala Waldron (piano, vocals). The group infuses Jazz with world music, global funk, and soul to create a unique sound for violin, cello, bass, piano, vocals and percussion. They have played collectively with Aretha Franklin, Beyonce, Lauryn Hill, Indie Arie and countless others. Critics have described Firey String Sistas as “supremely talented” and “poignant.”
This year the Legacy Project deepens its reach through a formal partnership with the Rutherford B. H. Yates Museum in Freedmen’s Town, extending programming throughout the month of June. These activations are part of Harmonies of Heritage: A Juneteenth 2026 Celebration of African American Music and will take place at the J. Vance and Pauline Gray Lewis Museum Home of Legal and Education Professions.
“CMCH’s Legacy Project is not just about looking back,” said singer, CMCH vocal instructor, and former band member of the funk group WAR and Hollywood Walk of Famer Tweed Smith. “It is about recognizing the people who built the cultural ground we stand on, and making sure their work continues to live in the present.”
Through exhibitions, public programs, and live performance, the Legacy Project invites audiences into a shared space of remembrance and celebration. Whether through formal study, church performance traditions, or community music-making, the project reflects the many ways Black music is carried across generations in Houston.
The opening celebration and concert on June 7th, will require a donation – reinforcing CMCH’s commitment to access and community participation.
RSVP on Eventbrite or log on to cmch1@live.org. Call 713 521-9710 for more information. Follow CMCH on IG and Facebook.
Schedule of Events
Opening Celebration
Sunday, June 7, 2026
Eldorado Ballroom
2310 Elgin Street, Houston, TX 77004
2:00 – 4:00 P.M.
Black Music Month Art Opening
Eldorado Ballroom’s Dupree Room
4:00 – 6:00 P.M.
Legacy Honoree Celebration and Concert
Featuring a performance by the Firey String Sistas
Art Exhibition Closing
Friday, June 26, 2026
2:00–4:00 P.M.
Dupree Room, Eldorado Ballroom
Legacy Project June Activations
Presented in partnership with Community Artists’ Collective and Freedmen’s Town Museums Houston / Rutherford B. H. Yates Museum
Location:
J. Vance and Pauline Gray Lewis Museum Home of Legal and Education Professions
- Thursday, June 18 | 4:00–7:00 P.M.
- Thursday, June 25 | 4:00–7:00 P.M.
- Saturday, June 27 | 10:00 A.M.–1:00 P.M.
- Tuesday, June 30 | 10:00 A.M.–1:00 P.M.
Private tours available for prior purchase: $25.
Proceeds support Freedmen’s Town Museums Houston / Rutherford B. H. Yates Museum’s 30 years of preservation. For more information about Freedmen’s Town Museums Houston / Rutherford B. H. Yates Museum visit https://
Corporate Sponsor
Community Music Center of Houston gratefully acknowledges H-E-B as a corporate sponsor of the 2026 Legacy Project. Their support helps make this Black Music Month celebration accessible to the community while honoring the artists, educators, and cultural workers who continue to shape Houston’s Black musical legacy.
About Community Music Center of Houston
Founded by Ron Scales and Patricia Johnson in 1979, Community Music Center of Houston (CMCH) is a Houston-based nonprofit dedicated to preserving, presenting, and teaching Black music traditions. Through performance, education, and community programming, CMCH serves as both a cultural anchor and a space where music is passed from one generation to the next.
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