Wednesday, June 19, 2024 8:22PMThere was a special honor Wednesday in Brooklyn for an iconic jazz drummer and Civil Rights activist.Roach was the first jazz musician ever honored with a MacArthur fellowship, or "Genius Grant."
"Max was basically a physician because music can heal, and there's so much hate out there that can divide us, he had the power to reconnect us," said New York City Mayor Eric Adams."As we gather today, what do we do? First of all, we do it the Max Roach way, and we remember not only what sustained these ancestors," said Janus Adams, American journalist and writer. "We are the promises they made to themselves. We are their dreams. Thank you, Max.
Roach's family is planning a series of events in honor of what would have been his100th birthday in August as the music great is remembered by the next generation, his neighborhood and city.----------