The Underworld Black Arts Festival was launched in 2018 as “The Underworld Jazz Festival” to amplify rich, colorful and nuanced Black art traditions. The word "underworld" is used because despite the revenue it generates, Black art remains marginal to mainstream society. The term "jazz" is used; less as genre and more as a way to think about approach to music, creativity and life. In 2022, the Jazz festival was crowned as the "Black Arts" Festival to truly demonstrate the dedication to 360° of Black Creativity.

The 2022 Underworld Black Arts Festival occurred October 21 - 23, 2022.

The 2021 Underworld Jazz Festival was generously funded by the Carol Ann and. Ralph V. Haile, Jr. Foundation