Unit 5 Summary

There is without doubt two salient circumstances concerning African Americans and their music between the years 1940s-1960s: 1) African Americans experienced racism and discrimination, and 2) Music played a central role in African Americans' perseverance. Indeed, the continuation of the Black Migration just after World War II from Southern to Northern cities caused oppression and discriminatory actions against Blacks similar to those experienced from the South. Fortunately, the church in the North, as it was in the South, was the cornerstone for the African American community.

Moreover, it was at this time the Golden Age of Gospel music flourished and provided spiritual, social, and political nourishment that aided and abetted African Americans desire to persevere through such hardships. The music industry and its discriminatory labeling of Black music as "race records" eventually led to radio and cavalier disc jockeys' pursuit to signify, and rightfully categorize African American music as it should be. And thus, it was replaced with "rhythm and blues," which became a marketable style of African American music that introduced not only African American music but also elements of Black culture to mainstream America.

In the 1950s, throughout the grassroots activities that led to the modern civil rights movement, the nation and the world became exposed to the racial inequalities such as fair job pay, fair housing, voter registration, to name a few, that adversely affected Blacks and hindered their artistic expression. Freedom songs played a central role as a medium to inform, educate, and offer a call to action against social injustice. Perhaps the signing of the Civil Rights Act in 1964 was more far-reaching than imagined. Blacks were feeling more empowered with the possibility America would become the place of true freedom, equality, and social justice for all, not just Whites. Soul music and the continued evolution of jazz were understood at this time, implicitly by some, explicitly by others, to express the very essence of Black culture and its hope for empowerment and racial equality.