And All That Jazz
Elie Kern 11/20/15
11AP3 Mrs. Wang-Birnbaum
Jazz has had a powerful impact on both general American culture and the African-American community. From its modest beginnings, this type of music is now one of the most well-known genres in the world, and this process has impacted American music tremendously. For the African American community, the development of jazz has advanced the goal of racial equality. The history of how jazz became as important as it has is long, complicated, and, at times, controversial. Despite many questions about the origins of jazz, most historians agree that its roots can be traced from Africa, though some passionately disagree. The most common theory offered by experts is …show more content…
In 1957, Faubus had ordered the Arkansas National Guard to prevent nine African-American children from integrating into Little Rock Central High School. This infuriated many African Americans, and Mingus used his talents as a way to speak for his people. The song’s lyrics criticized Eisenhower, Faubus, and racism as a whole. The lyrics were not included in the song’s original album, as Columbia records prohibited their publication. Many black jazz musicians, including Louis Armstrong, spoke out against Faubus and Eisenhower during the events involving the Little Rock nine. Even though Mingus and Armstrong were not politicians, they had a national audience listening to their every comment, and they did not let that opportunity go to waste. The many voices from these black musicians put pressure on the government, and Eisenhower eventually federalized the Arkansas National Guard and forced the school to allow the African -American students to …show more content…
Their talent earned them the respect of American citizens, and this respect enabled the African-American community to speak up about civil rights issues. As Martin Luther King Jr. stated at the 1964 Berlin Jazz Festival:
“Much of the power of our Freedom Movement in the United States has come from this music. It has strengthened us with its sweet rhythms when courage began to fail. It has calmed us with its rich harmonies when spirits were down.”
Even a major political leader such as Martin Luther King Jr. noticed the clear effects of jazz on American society in general and jazz music’s important role in the quest towards equality for black Americans. Jazz was one of the many things that allowed African Americans to prove that they meant something great to this country. And even more importantly, jazz was one of the opportunities, as Dr. King famously said, for African Americans to be “Judged not by the color of their skin but by the content of their
Elie Kern 11/20/15
11AP3 Mrs. Wang-Birnbaum
Jazz has had a powerful impact on both general American culture and the African-American community. From its modest beginnings, this type of music is now one of the most well-known genres in the world, and this process has impacted American music tremendously. For the African American community, the development of jazz has advanced the goal of racial equality. The history of how jazz became as important as it has is long, complicated, and, at times, controversial. Despite many questions about the origins of jazz, most historians agree that its roots can be traced from Africa, though some passionately disagree. The most common theory offered by experts is …show more content…
In 1957, Faubus had ordered the Arkansas National Guard to prevent nine African-American children from integrating into Little Rock Central High School. This infuriated many African Americans, and Mingus used his talents as a way to speak for his people. The song’s lyrics criticized Eisenhower, Faubus, and racism as a whole. The lyrics were not included in the song’s original album, as Columbia records prohibited their publication. Many black jazz musicians, including Louis Armstrong, spoke out against Faubus and Eisenhower during the events involving the Little Rock nine. Even though Mingus and Armstrong were not politicians, they had a national audience listening to their every comment, and they did not let that opportunity go to waste. The many voices from these black musicians put pressure on the government, and Eisenhower eventually federalized the Arkansas National Guard and forced the school to allow the African -American students to …show more content…
Their talent earned them the respect of American citizens, and this respect enabled the African-American community to speak up about civil rights issues. As Martin Luther King Jr. stated at the 1964 Berlin Jazz Festival:
“Much of the power of our Freedom Movement in the United States has come from this music. It has strengthened us with its sweet rhythms when courage began to fail. It has calmed us with its rich harmonies when spirits were down.”
Even a major political leader such as Martin Luther King Jr. noticed the clear effects of jazz on American society in general and jazz music’s important role in the quest towards equality for black Americans. Jazz was one of the many things that allowed African Americans to prove that they meant something great to this country. And even more importantly, jazz was one of the opportunities, as Dr. King famously said, for African Americans to be “Judged not by the color of their skin but by the content of their