April is Jazz Appreciation Month, a nationwide celebration to recognize jazz as a uniquely American art form rooted in Black history and cultural expression. Established in 2001 by the National Museum of American History, people of all ages are encouraged to engage with jazz through education and performance.

Jazz at Lincoln Center recently launched JazzCall for Freedom, a “coordinated civic response to a moment of deep division in our country.” The bandstand is turned into “a public square for civic expression and renewal.”

JazzCall for Freedom is a call to action against “a rising movement towards authoritarianism.” The social media campaign uses jazz to engage with ideas about democracy and freedom.

Jazz at Lincoln Center Managing and Artistic Director Wynton Marsalis notes that “jazz has always been a civic minded music and it gives us a chance to be a part of that legacy.” That legacy dates back to Billie Holiday whose 1939 recording of “Strange Fruit” is the first protest song of the modern Civil Rights Movement.

Each Friday, Jazz at Lincoln Center will share a video featuring an artist performing a chorus of a song embodying the spirit of democracy. This week’s song is Stevie Wonder’s “Visions” performed by Cécile McLorin Salvant and Sullivan Fortner.

For information on how you can add your voice to this national “call and response,” visit jazz.org/jazzcall.