(AllHipHop News) At the moment, Washington, DC is one of the central cities of the #BlackLivesMatter protests. Many demonstrators in the nation’s capital are not only concerned about police brutality. There is also a call to end the rampant gentrification that is causing the displacement of low-income families and the erasure of the black culture that has defined DC.
Last year, the #DontMuteDC movement made national news when longtime residents pushed back against new residents trying to silence Go-Go songs playing from speakers outside a store near Howard University. Go-Go is the homegrown music that has been part of the artistic fabric of Washington for six decades.
TV One is celebrating Black Music Month with the original documentary titled The Beat Don’t Stop. The program will highlight the history of Go-Go, the legacy of the late Godfather of Go-Go Chuck Brown, and the role Radio One (now Urdan One) played as the original broadcast platform for the genre.
“I always sought to represent the underrepresented. I always gave voice to the voiceless, and Go-go was very much that,” said Cathy Hughes, Chairwoman and Founder of Urban One. “We are proud to be a part of the Go-Go story and grateful to tell the story of the men and women who helped to create and promote this amazing sound.”
Hughes also served as an executive producer for The Beat Don’t Stop. The doc features members of the Go-Go groups Junk Yard Band, Trouble Funk, E.U., Backyard Band, TOB, TCB, and Maiesha and the Hip Huggers. In addition, Don’t Mute DC organizer Ron Moten, Hip Hop legend Doug E. Fresh, Radio One personality Angie Ange, and others helped honor the District’s indigenous sound.
The Beat Don’t Stop is scheduled to air Sunday, June 21 at 8 pm. ET/7 pm CT on TV One. An encore presentation will air at 10 pm ET/9 pm CT.
