Local 77 and the AFM Recognize the Legacy of Local 274

January 5, 2026

In spirit of reckoning and repair, the members of Local 77 (Philadelphia, PA) successfully petitioned the AFM International Executive Board (IEB) to officially change the local’s number to 77-274, in recognition of the former Philadelphia Black Musicians’ Protective Union, Local 274.

The change honors the perseverance and contributions of the musicians who built and sustained Local 274 during an era when Black musicians were not welcome to join Local 77. During the latter half of the 1960s, the Federation required segregated locals to merge in compliance with its civil rights policy. Local 274 resisted such a merger with its Local 77 white counterpart, asserting that since Local 274 admitted musicians of all ethnicities it was therefore in compliance with all rules and regulations and should be allowed to retain its charter. Unpersuaded, the IEB revoked Local 274’s charter in 1971 for refusing to merge, creating a lasting wound in the community.

AFM International President Tino Gagliardi conveyed the current IEB’s appreciation to the officers and members of Local 77 for their work in honoring the memory and spirit of the Black musicians of Philadelphia, so many of whom were responsible for the landscape of the American music forms that we all enjoy today.

“The hard feelings caused by the Federation’s revocation of Local 274’s charter so long ago cannot be undone, but by shining a spotlight upon it, your membership has taken an important step toward a brighter future in which our union’s history, whether comfortable or not, is properly acknowledged,” he says.

Laura Munich, Local 77-274 Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Access, and Solidarity (IDEAS) Council chair adds, “Through continued engagement with our membership, attentive listening to community voices, and the impending election of our inaugural diversity delegate, we will advance our work of reckoning and repair, establishing a collaborative vision for a future that includes and supports musicians of all genres and identities throughout our local and across our union.”

You can read the full history in the February 2025 International Musician (https://internationalmusician.org/afms-last-black-local-local-274-remembered-by-philly-musicians).

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