Music at MAPS

Connecting Our Community Inside and Out

By Kevin Cranford, Communications Officer
Sia Henry, J.D., Senior Policy Associate
Devon Phillips, Community and Partnerships Officer

by Sia Henry

Black people influence everything. We created many of the American musical genres, including gospel, country, jazz, rock and roll, R&B, soul, and rap. And yet, “America’s love for [B]lack culture, but not [B]lack people has erased African Americans’ role in pioneering American music.”¹ The same can be said for so many other aspects of our culture from clothes to food, dances, and language. MAPS’ Black History Month playlists are important because they allow an opportunity for us to highlight the breadth of diversity, innovation, and artistic genius within the Black community. Doing this in the psychedelic space is especially unique as, oftentimes, the music we hear at psychedelic-centric concerts and festivals, conference after-parties, and even psychedelic-assisted therapy playlists do not seem to be by us or for us.

Being from Brooklyn, New York, I grew up on rap music, a genre that requires an immense amount of creativity, wit, and humor. Rap has also historically been a powerful channel for communication, connection, validation, and reflection on the social, economic, and political state of our environments.

When we talk about being inclusive, especially when it comes to healing and wellness, it is important we design spaces that are genuinely for everyone, and that includes musically. Some may notice 2024’s Black History Month playlist was a little different from last year’s. In 2023 we largely selected more “mainstream” (read: “safe”) music by Black artists. I think this is reflective of how a lot of Black people enter predominantly white spaces: with caution and fear of being misunderstood, stereotyped, and demonized. But, in 2024, it felt important to create a playlist that was more reflective of the diversity of Black experiences, especially those of people who are often not in psychedelic conversations and are less likely to have access to meaningful and culturally appropriate mental health support.

Can some of the songs in the 2024 playlist be considered “violent” or otherwise problematic? Maybe. But they were also reflective of many people’s realities, particularly those living in heavily policed, urban areas. They also demonstrate a wealth of creativity, confidence, and resilience, all things Black folks have had to embody to survive throughout the centuries and still today.

This year, as we see major efforts, led by the Trump Administration, to dismantle DEI efforts and remove legal protections for historically oppressed and exploited communities, we chose to create a 2025 Black History Month playlist that focuses on Black resilience, resistance, and joy.

To put it simply, if we want to build a psychedelic movement truly meant to support healing for all people, we have to create space to honor and acknowledge the value, contributions, and needs of Black folks from the “hood.” Failing to do so perpetuates white supremacist practices of only deeming acceptable the Black people who make white people comfortable, something that often requires us to code switch and mute parts of ourselves, behaviors that are exhausting and harmful.

^{1. https://vincedixonportfolio.com/app/black-music-history/}