Perry, thank you for taking the time to speak with Occhi. What first inspired your deep connection to rhythm and blues, and how did your early experiences with music shape your vision for the Rhythm and Blues Preservation Society?
Black music has been a big part of my life. I was born visually impaired & growing up made me very insecure & introverted. I was born musically gifted, playing various instruments & singing as well. My parents would always buy albums & I couldn’t wait to hear the new music! Listening to the radio, & actually going to the record shop and to see the albums & 45s gave me such a thrill! Music (Black) was the one thing that kept me from doing anything negative in my life. I’m a graduate of Laguardia High School of Music and Performing Arts & that had a great impact on my life! The inspiration for me to launch the Rhythm and Blues Preservation Society was to honor those artists in Black Music Culture who contributed to it. With our organization, it’s not about how many records you sold, or how many awards you’ve won. If you contributed to the culture of black music, we salute you!
Preserving Black music culture “one record at a time” is a powerful mission. Can you share a moment when you realized just how urgent and necessary this work is?
The moment I saw the need to preserve Black Music Culture was when I noticed throughout the years how Black Music was being used to help or promote companies/organizations, but those companies weren’t giving back to Black Music in terms of educational programs. Also, those artists who never got their roses for their contributions. With our social media platforms, we honor those in all genres of Black Music, R&B, Jazz, Hip Hop, Latin, Reggae, Blues, and Country.
Your organization aims to establish African American Music Studies as a degree program by 2030. What are the biggest challenges and opportunities you’ve encountered on this ambitious path?
The biggest challenge to implement a curriculum of the African American Music Study Degree Program in colleges and universities is showing them how students will learn how Black music served as a vital form of cultural expression & identity. With our curriculum, students will identify & analyze fundamental musical elements in African American Music past & present. Our curriculum can be taught in high schools as well.
The Society’s first Black music preservation lecture and panel at Stockton University was a milestone. What impact did that event have on the community, and how did it shape your next steps?
My VP/COO Artist-In-Residence Dr. Sonja Elise Freeman aka Queen Diva made that happen! When she came on board in 2021, I told her that I wanted to do lectures on Black Music Culture in colleges and universities. We decided to do it in November 2021, which is Hip Hop History Month. My VP knew Reggie Reg of the Legendary Crash Crew & he was excited to speak to the students at Stockton University! The response was very positive & we built a good relationship with the university! That gave us the confidence to do more lectures & we saw that there was a need to educate on the importance of Black Music Culture.
With library curations now reaching both national and international institutions, what have you learned about the global appetite for African American music history and its educational value?
When we decided to curate the National/International Black Music Library Curation with colleges and universities, they were very enthusiastic about doing exhibitions on Black Music Culture! Our first one was in February 2023 for Black History Month & the response was very positive! We have worked with about twenty colleges and universities in America, London, and Canada. The students & faculty were very impressed & informed on the importance of Black Music Culture & we realized the impact on a global perspective as well! In 2026, we will continue with the library curation for Black History Month (February), Black Music Month (June) & Hip Hop History Month (November).
Staffing and collaboration are key for any nonprofit. How do you build and sustain a team that shares your passion and vision for preservation, and what qualities do you look for in partners?
Yes, you have to have a team that shares your vision! I’m very fortunate to have my VP/COO Artist-In-Residence Dr. Sonja Elise Freeman, aka Queen Diva. She came on board in 2021. She saw my vision, and she was enthusiastic about what I wanted to do to preserve Black Music Culture! Since she joined, the organization has stepped up in so many levels! She does our flyers, press releases, & I trust her suggestions on making the organization better! Im also fortunate to have Ms. Lisa Charles (below), who is our Assistant in Marketing. She was very instrumental when we did our first RBPSOC Toy Drive, & she will be working with the RBPSOC Merch coming soon! It’s very important that you have a team that you are comfortable with & you trust because having a non-profit organization isn’t easy. You need people who are driven like I am & who want to help the organization succeed!
The Society has received recognition from city and state leaders, including a proclamation and a letter of support from the Governor. How do these endorsements influence your work and open new doors for your initiatives?
Our organization is truly honored to be recognized by prominent politicians for the work we do to preserve Black Music Culture! Not only do we have a Letter of Support from New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, we also have a Proclamation from Assemblyman Don Gaurdian declaring February 21st as Rhythm and Blues Preservation Society Day in Atlantic City, NJ! We are also working with Senator Cory Booker to endorse a resolution celebrating the contributions of Black Americans to the musical heritage of the United States & designate June as Black Music Month, as well as the lack of access to arts education training for Black students and calls for access to music education. By connecting to local politicians in New Jersey & other states, it helps our organization get more notoriety & to push the importance of Black Music Cultural education.
How do you balance honoring the legacy of the past with the need to innovate and keep rhythm and blues relevant for new generations?
Through our social media platforms, we honor those who contributed to the culture of black music, no matter what year, & our followers really like our posts, & comment on them as well. & through our lectures & library curations, the students really appreciate & learn the importance of Black Music Culture. We also honor Black Music Culture with our live performances. My VP/COO Artist-In-Residence Queen Diva does a one-woman stage show honoring the legacy of Phyllis Hyman, & we have a great singer under our organization named Ayanda Sunshine who does a Nina Simone Tribute! In June 2024, we did a Black Music Month Independent Artist Showcase at the Stockton University Multicultural Center where we had local acts to perform. Honoring those in the past & present helps bridge the gap with the youth & the elders to understand the importance of Black Music Culture. That’s what we want our organization to do in 2025 & beyond!
Can you discuss a specific project or partnership that exceeded your expectations in terms of impact or community engagement? What made it so successful?
I definitely would say our National/International Black Music Library Curation Campaign. When we reached out to the colleges and universities, some of them had no idea that they had books on Black Music Culture. It excited them to do the exhibitions! Working with the colleges and universities is a plus for our organization because it builds a relationship to do other educational programs with them! We were very honored & proud that we are probably the first Black Music organization to make this happen! We received positive responses from all of them, and we look forward to doing our National/International Black Music Library Curation Campaign in 2026!
Funding and resources are often major hurdles for nonprofits. What strategies have you found most effective in sustaining and expanding the Society’s programs and outreach?
Funding is a major hurdle for non-profit organizations, & we are no exception. We always post our donation flyers on our social media platforms, speaking to politicians about getting funding for our organization as well. When we do any event, we look for sponsorship. When we did our first toy drive, we got sponsorship from various companies & it was successful! My VP & I are always thinking of ways to get donations. It isn’t easy, & sometimes we had to fund things ourselves, but that’s the sacrifice you do!
Looking ahead, what are your top priorities for the Society in the next five years, and what would you most like to see accomplished by 2030?
In the next five years, we want to create The Rhythm and Blues Preservation Society Cultural Center! This will allow us to do lectures, have our live performances & have the youth perform as well. Also, to have a curriculum of African American Music Studies in colleges and universities & high schools in America!
If you could spark one change in how African American music is valued and taught—whether in schools, communities, or the wider culture—what would it be, and why?
The change I see is more independent artists doing their own music & promoting themselves. Social media has been a great help in making that happen! Even the legends who are on social media are getting more recognition for their contributions to Black Music Culture! As far as education, I feel the Rhythm and Blues Preservation Society has made a positive change in that area & will continue to do so! Black Music has impacted so many people, not only in America, but across the world. Its rich history should be part of any history curriculum! The Rhythm and Blues Preservation Society will continue to grow, & educate on the importance of Black Music Culture!
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Image: Founder and Executive Director of the Rhythm and Blues Preservation Society Mr. Perry Thompson with Assistant In Marketing Ms. Lisa Charles
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