The Black Music Project, an extensive, engaging interactive exhibit to celebrate, promote and preserve the history of Black American music has launched on www.blackmusicproject.com.

Sponsored by the non-profit arts service organization Fractured Atlas, The Black Music Project's mission is to use the power of visuals and storytelling to recognize and further the idea that the history of Black music is, at its essence, the story of America.

The project features a collection of many lesser-known stories of the inception of what we now call "American music." The exhibit centers on an ever-expanding collection of Black American artists, genres, and eras from the Pre-Civil War period through the birth of hip-hop at the close of the 20th Century. The project visually tracks the history of Black music, connecting it with notable events, artists' bios for each period while mapping the varying genres of Black music, tracking each style's profound influence and crossover into the larger culture.

"Black music is an undeniable but underseen force in American society," says founder Christopher Fuller. "With the Black Music Project, our goal is to teach, inform and enlighten as many people as possible and entertain them in the process."

The genesis of the project was sparked in February 2018 when Fuller sketched out the musical genres birthed by African-Americans which essentially tracked the history of the country. The animated drawing is now seen in the Project's introductory “400 Years of Black American Music In 1 Minute'' video. That drawing and its genre mapping have become the backbone of the site and the project itself.

After launching a public beta of the site in February 2022, the team of graphic designers, writers and musicians have worked with the technical team to refine the site into an immersive user-friendly storytelling experience where users can search across a variety of areas including individual artists, genres, eras as well as curated exhibits on single topics of interest – all with links to music, video and a wealth of stories.

The site has already won numerous awards, including CSS Design Awards for Best UI, Best UX, and Best Innovation and will be recognized in Commarts' Web Picks list.