How The Jazz Age and The Civil Rights Movement Impacted American Society.
By Abigail Ash
The Jazz age and the fight for civil rights in America caused the integration of black American arts into mainstream American culture. These played a crucial part in reinventing American society in the 19th century. Black American art of the time, like Jazz, impacted the American mainstream so much that the period was called the jazz age. The books “The Great Gatsby” and “Theme for English B” can show how these two events transformed US people's identity in the 19th century.
In The Great Gatsby, we can see the influence of the Harlem Renaissance on everyday life in the 1900s. Jazz is brought up multiple times in the book “The piece is known,”
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Many black Americans played for white crowds due to the musics' immense popularity. It brought people from all races together. In another scene, the characters are dancing “I remember being surprised by his graceful, conservative foxtrot—I had never seen him dance before.”( The Great Gatsby) The fox trot also was invented by black Americans. Much black art and music were wildly popular then, though sadly, these black innovators would not get due credit or recognition. The musical culture of the 1918s, otherwise known as the Jazz age, is heavily inspired by the works of black Americans. This artistry is integral to The Great Gadsby because it fills most scenes. Another evoking movement happening In America was the fight for civil rights. Some black American activists would express their ideas and reservations through literature and writing. One of these writers was Lanfstion Huges. In the book, he addresses his white professor. “But it will be a part of you, instructor. You are white— yet a part of me, as I am a part of you. “(Theme for English …show more content…
The Jazz age created an appreciation for the art of black musical cultures like jazz in the Gate Gatsby, and the Activist movement publicized black literature and ideas. Like Theme for English B., both events brought up black arts and created an interest in it which changed how some white people thought of them. However, During the Jazz age, white people still refused to support or uplift the black artist they were listening to. For example, In the Grate gatsby Tom, a wealthy white man says, “ It’s up to us, who are the dominant race, to watch out or these other races will have control of things.”(The Great Gatsby) This shows white people justified the abhorrent view of the time that many white people felt. It also displays how extreme lack of acknowledgment of black achievements. In contrast, the black civil rights movement was created by black people who saw to support and raised black voices along with their art. While both historical events had some similarities, their purpose was pretty
Without African Culture jazz might not have become what it is today, in the 1920’s people could see the increase of black culture, including music. African music brought many factors to the production of jazz, including African drum beats. With the blacks and whites sharing more ideas about music, this helped with the idea of jazz. New music brought new women, “flappers”, “flappers” were women who were more independent than past generations. They brought a new look to the 1920’s, started doing different things that women normally wouldn't have done, and they always knew the latest dances.
In the realm of music, African Americans celebrated blues music. The blues music that spread during the 1920s “expressed the longings and philosophical perspectives of the black working class” (). In addition to blues music, jazz became a dominant musical form which established Harlem as an exciting cultural center, resulting in abundant dance halls created where famous musicians such as the trumpeter Louis Armstrong, pianist Duke Ellington, and pianist Fats Waller could perform their unique solos and share their musical talents in an environment that embraced the freedom of self-expression. These developments that occurred in this period called the Jazz Age indeed empowered African Americans to use their musical talents in an effort to strengthen their traditions, culture, and racial status in an anti-black prejudiced society: “"Wild Dreams of Bringing Glory and Honor to the Negro Race," addresses the composer's difficulties in overcoming negative stereotypes, myths, and perceptions that were most often based in racial prejudice” (). Similarly, African Americans contributed to the field of drama, forming all black theatre groups and creating productions that often focused on portraying the folk experience (the experience of blacks in the South) and protesting racial oppression and black stereotypes.
They both were advocates for racial pride and equality. In the 1920s, America witnessed the flourishment of African-American culture in the fine arts. In music, black culture expressed itself through Jazz. Some famous jazz musicians were Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, and Bessie
African Americans were able to work for their own money now and gain confidence while living in America. They began to publish newspapers which increased the awareness of racial violence and express their freedom from restraint through art (O’Neill). This “negro fad” in the United States influenced art and drama that focused on the depiction of an African American in the 1920’s. African Americans were revolutionizing the way they were perceived in the U.S.. They gained confidence and made efforts to achieve their ultimate goal,
The civil rights movement was arguably the most important movement that has happened in the history of the U.S. This movement had gotten people equal rights. This movement helped everyone get treated equally because they used to treat people differently for their skin color and they’re race in America. But therefore they passed these laws and African American gained equality and improved in social conditions because they were getting treated equally after they passed the law of the civil rights movement. This movement affected all over America because not only did it give African American rights but they gave women the right to vote and to do more in America but it really helped out all of America.
The Civil Rights Movement has taken America a long way from "separate but equal" to the integration of public places to now where discrimination is mostly gone. After people got past the fact that something had to change the movement took off. " Plessy vs. Ferguson" influenced America because it showed nothing can ever be separate but equal (Brown 27). It explained the fact that if you separate two races how will they ever grow or learn new ideas (Ober, Lauren). Then once the races were integrated it hit America hard.
Amongst one of those arts to be recognized was music, especially jazz. Jazz had become fairly popular and the 1920s became what was known as the “Jazz Age”. Jazz gathered plenty of people night after night to see the exact performers as the night before and with the use of improvisation no two performances would ever be the same. There were a ton of musical events headlining Jazz because of its rhythms and unique instrumental solos. “Many singers like Billie Holiday made the blues and jazz so popular with their vocals, as well as other artists like Louis Armstrong who brought in huge audiences, both black and white Americans alike, while they all caught jazz fever”.
American culture today is extremely diverse, reflecting the creative explosion of African American arts in the 1920s. This expressive transformation of culture was called The Harlem Renaissance, which America could not cast away or ignore. This social, cultural, and artistic outburst impacted the lives of many African Americans like Louis Armstrong and Langston Hughes and their culture with revolutionary art, literature, and music, and this movement made blacks more acceptable to America, as they embraced their own culture and heritage. During the 1920s, the Harlem Renaissance flourished because of the achievements and culture of African Americans’ literary, musical, theatrical, and visual arts.
The “New Negro Movement”, later called The Harlem Renaissance, was all about self expression through art (Opinde). Jazz was derived from the experience of black americans, borrowing from European and African musical traditions. Music in this genre
During the 1920s America, Jim Crow Laws found a way of segregating whites and colored individuals. Seen as a dark period of time in America, Black communities were specifically targeted by Jim Crow. Not allowed the same freedoms as whites had, Jazz was seen as an opportunity to express themselves, giving opportunities for blacks to feel connected in a disconnected society, leading to a positive outlook on black communities. Jazz created less racial discrimination for black communities by creating an opportunity for blacks to be part of white businesses, including different races in recording sessions for jazz, and influencing the Civil Rights movement. With the popularity spike in jazz began to have, many white businessmen found this as an
African american arts that can be seen in culture today can be traced back to one origin. All of these effects that were made on culture can still be seen today. During the 1920s a boom of culture happened called the Harlem Renaissance. Some of the lasting effects were black pride and black artistry, these effects are seen in the recent black lives matter movement all across the globe. The Harlem Renaissance increased black culture tremendously and America wouldn’t be the same today without it.
Black Artists worked hard to put an end to that. Though there was much discrimination, which made it hard for any African American artist to show off their art, through will and persistence several Black musicians, singers, dancers, and actors could perform in clubs and theaters. New expressions of art allowed for the media to see a true representation of Black culture and art, rather than the one that racism influenced. These artists worked hard and were able to represent their own experiences of life as an African American in the US (“Art Movement: Harlem Renaissance” Artland Magazine). Artists introduced many genres of music such as swing, jazz, and blues, and allowed for a lot of creative new ways to use music.
The shame wasn’t a cause for them to turn away from the love for their culture, it just made the proud of their deep black beautiful roots. The black artists of the Harlem Renaissance put a visual scene to the joy, pain, laughter, tears, and the ugly truth within this endearing culture. The literature of the Harlem Renaissance gave an intellectual opinion in American during in the turn of the 20th century. Writers of the Harlem Renaissance have had a profound impact on the American society today.
The Jazz Age of America happened in the 1920s, begun by the end of the Great Depression. The richer classes in America lived an American Dream of wealth, freedom, and never-ending entertainment. This sometimes led to corruption from people seeking more money, more fun, more love, and more. The Great Gatsby is a prime example of this phenomenon. F. Scott Fitzergald’s
Some of them included Duke Ellington, Fletcher Henderson, and Jimmy Lunceford. Interestingly enough, because of the popularity of the music, African Americans were able to produce music and bring it into white society for them to listen to. These African American musicians also influenced many of the white musicians as well. White jazz musicians had taken inspiration from black jazz music for many years, but because of swing, they became even more deeply devoted to integrating this music to blacks and whites. Benny Goodman was one of these white musicians.