The connection between the history of black ethnic struggles in the U.S and the history of Jazz
Jazz was a type of music begun by African-Americans of New Orleans in the late 19th century and early 20th century. The significant jazz roots are blues and ragtime, whereby it was associated with West African music culture and African-American music traditions. As Jazz spread throughout the world, most music cultures were drawn to it, resulting in different music types. In 1910 it began with a combination of ancient ragtime, blues, brass-band marches, French quadrilles, and biguine.
In ancient years, most minority groups experienced different forms of harassment and discrimination. The blacks were taken to America as slaves, and even after the civil war, they remained to endure suffering and oppression. In 1865 after the civil war, slavery was abolished, but in 1870 Jim Crow laws were introduced in Southeastern, where there were most blacks in the U.S.It was hard for blacks because they would not mix with the other races in schools, public transports, and restaurants. It was even more challenging for them to vote because of the literacy tests.
For many years black culture was established separately from the American culture because of slavery and racial discrimination. In the twentieth century, there was a significant transformation in the lives of African-American citizens. The great migration enabled most blacks to move from the south to the north, acquiring better jobs. Several policies that defended the rights of minorities were also formulated.
During this century, blacks’ culture was greatly influenced by the whites’ injustices committed to them. Blacks had unique traditions, like the belief in spirits and other customary practices. With the increased migration and rights protecting blacks, the culture began gaining popularity, which led to inventions in music, art, literature, and religion. Jazz is one of the types of music that originated from blacks and later became common to other races. It was historical because, previously, Blacks were considered to be an inferior race by the whites.
Most jazz musicians played a crucial role in bringing integration and fighting for civil rights. Both black and white musicians contributed significantly through their practices, and the contribution through the message conveyed in music. Most of them have rebuked instances of racial discrimination and encouraged the integration of all types of people. They have, therefore, significantly helped minority groups, more so the blacks.
Different jazz musicians contributed to the civil rights movement through the songs which were used in protests. The songs acted like motivation for blacks to keep on fighting for their rights. Musicians of both races condemned the act because it was illegal to share the stage. Some bandleaders also played a crucial role in integration by recruiting black musicians as opposed to before.
In 1939 Billie Holiday record was released, a rendition of Abel Meeropol known as the “Strange Fruit.”The song describes the suffering and oppression which black people experienced during the regime of Jim Crow laws. Up to date, this song is considered to be the most influential jazz protest song. The music has played a significant role in the campaigns and protests of African-Americans.
Jazz musicians became great activists in the 1950s. They began composing songs about civil rights and racial integration. Different record labels and television media started to silent these musicians. Still, songwriters like Nina Simone remained committed to supporting the movement by using their lyrics.”Four women” song by Simone described the four particular types of black women.
Louis Armstrong released “What did I do to be so black and blue” that was risky for a black performer in 1929. The lyrics of the song had significant information about the oppression of blacks. During the cold war, he became a cultural ambassador of America who performed on many world stages. In 1957 after an incident whereby nine students were restrained from joining the school, it made him publicly cancel a tour to the Soviet Union because of the black inequality.
Benny Goodman was the first white bandleader to higher a black musician to be part of the band. In 1935 he recruited pianist Tedd Wilson; in 1936, he added Lionel Hampton and drummer Gene Grupa. It was taboo and illegal in some states for black musicians to perform with white musicians. He used his popularity to spread the love for black music significantly to a majorly white audience.
Duke Ellington had a sophisticated contribution to the civil rights movements. He described Jazz as a piece of original African-American music and was committed to spreading the black culture throughout the U.S.In 1941 Duke composed a song that challenged the former involvement of blacks in entertainment. In 1943 he wrote “Black, Brown and Beige,” which illustrated American blacks’ history.
In the 1960s, Max Roach recorded a song featuring his wife Abbey Lincoln about protesting for civil rights. He recorded two albums on the subject, “speak brother speak” and “Lift every voice and sing”.while recording and performing, he was also committed to advocating for social justice.Therefore, he contributed most to the civil rights movements at that time.
Charles Mingus was characterized by anger during the 1957 incident whereby the Governor used the guards to restrain nine students from entering school. He composed “Fables of Faubus,” which had a harsh critique of Jim Crow laws. Although the lyrics were so incendiary that Columbia records refused to produce, he still recorded this song for Candid Records in 1960.
John Coltrane was a religious man who was confident that his songs were a medium for meaningful information. He became joined the civil rights movement in 1963 after Martin Luther gave,’I have a dream” speech. At this time, some white racists had placed a bomb killing four girls in an Alabama church. He played for eight concerts to support Martin Luther and recorded the “Alabama” song dedicated to the Birmingham incident.
As Jazz continued to spread worldwide, it captured many local, national, and regional music cultures. It began from the roots of ragtime and blues. In the 1930s, it swung big bands, Kansas City and Gypsy Jazz. Cool Jazz was invented in the 1940s, making it calmer, smoother, and more prolonged. Later it fused with rock and continually changed to develop more styles. The progress reflects cultural changes because the music of different groups of people became Jazz to produce other types. Furthermore, it helped in spreading the culture of African-American throughout the world.
The whites discriminated against blacks in different ways since their culture was dominant. It is apparent in the jazz scenario because it was even illegal for black musicians to perform on the same stage with the whites in most states. The lyrics of most jazz songs supported civil rights movements because of the oppression of black culture. Furthermore, the dominant culture’s ethos is evident because most jazz activists tried to stop advocating for blacks’ rights. It illustrates how the black culture was considered inferior because of the domination of white culture.
White culture dominance is straightforward because the credibility of the invention is given to the whites, yet the African-American communities of New Orleans initially developed it. Most black jazz musicians believe that they were ripped off money and did not get ultimate recognition or credit for being inventors of Jazz music.this lack of full recognition shows how white culture dominates the African-American culture.
Even if blacks are not credited to be the inventors of jazz music, there is a strong connection between black ethnic struggles and Jazz is evident from different occasions of the jazz era. Musicians of Jazz used their personality and songs to advocate for integration and to discourage racial discrimination. They majorly used the lyrics as a tool to condemn racial injustices and promote integration for all races.
They also contributed most to the civil rights movement, which was a significant milestone for black lives. Jazz began while inequality was at the peak, but it helped spread African-Americans’ culture with time. During the jazz era, the oppression and significant efforts to ensure equality show how black ethnicity has struggled in the United States.