The Jazz Age: Prevailing Opportunities for African Americans Thesis and Outline
Thesis: The increased popularity of jazz music led to a growing acceptance of African American culture and presented African Americans the opportunity to gain social status.
Introduction
During the Jazz Age, jazz music, primarily dominated by African Americans before 1920, began to gain popularity among whites and transformed into an important aspect of American culture.
The increased popularity of jazz music led to a growing acceptance of African American culture and presented African Americans the opportunity to gain social status.
The Beginnings of Jazz music and Prevailing Opportunities for African Americans
Music has always played an essential part in African …show more content…
However, jazz allowed some African Americans to gain social standing in the much segregated society.
Harlem Renaissance was a cultural and artistic boom that attracted black musicians,artist, writers, and scholars to Harlem, New York. It was home to many of the successful black jazz musicians.
The Opportunity for Black Upward Social Mobility and Acceptance
Throughout the Jazz Age, black jazz musicians were given the opportunity to showcase their music towards a wider audience, especially middle aged white men.
Large Record companies such as Paramount and Columbia “began to market special labels of "race records" — music by and for an African-American audience” (PBS)
Race records began to sell up to 5 million copies a year. Due to the growing appeal of African American jazz band records, white record producers strove to showcase more black jazz musicians to a white audience.
Recording companies allowed black musicians to be recorded, however were in total control of what songs they were able to …show more content…
Duke Ellington,a very prominent jazz composer and musician, performed in many nightclubs and was the leader of a 10 person ensemble called the Kentucky Club Orchestra, later known as the Duke Ellington and his Cotton Club Orchestra in 1927.
Louis Armstrong seen as a “founding father of jazz” performed over 300 concerts every year and was a great jazz musician and composer as well. He was born in a very impoverished area of New Orleans called “the battlefield”. He later joined King Oliver’s Creole Jazz Band in Chicago and was able to receive a sufficient income in 1922. Throughout his career, he played with the best jazz musicians and was able to gain mainstream acceptance.
The increased popularity of jazz led to the beginnings of mainstream acceptance of African American culture.
It transformed African Americans into recognized members of society.
African American morals expressed through jazz music began to be accepted by whites.
Conclusion
The Jazz Age was a time of growing acceptance of African American culture and increased opportunities for blacks to gain social standing due to the rising popularity of