Racial segregation and collaboration

In a society dominated by white supremacy and racial disintegration jazz served as a medium which provided the Black community with a unifying music genre in which African American artists were empowered with the freedom of cultural self-expression. Jazz emerged from the social constraints imposed upon the black community by discrimination and segregation as a liberating instrument in creating their distinct cultural tradition. Societal oppression and economic disadvantage seemed to vanish in the music, allowing for social freedoms that were previously denied to the African American community. However, as Miles states in his autobiography, the difficulties that Black artists had to face remained evident and undeniably obvious. Despite the safe zone of free expression, the jazz scene experienced many of the tensions induced by discrimination and racial intolerance. As miles states, white appropriation, in which white artists attempt to take claim of the creations of black talent, coupled with their advantaged societal position in a white supremacist society, made it increasingly difficult for black jazz artists to make a living or rise to popularity (Davis 54).

Black artists did not only experience an opposition within the jazz scene by interracial competition with white artists enjoying a more advantageous societal position. As some rose to popularity, financial independence and social recognition for their unmatched talent, fractions among the white population engaged in jealousy driven racism (Davis 67). Jazz was seen as an invasion by Black people, which fueled further racial tensions (Davis 67). Disapproval of Black Jazz musicians bathing in financial success, surrounded by White women and popularity was commonly experienced by Black artists (Davis 67). In addition, the inability of Black artists to independently reach fame during the early stages of jazz influenced by racial discrimination and intolerance created a dependency of Black musicians on white agents and club owners as facilitators of their musical careers (Travis).

The forced racial integration based on the collaboration between white business men and black artists in promoting jazz, however, provided jazz with the necessary means to reach unprecedented fame during the 20s and 30s, which ultimately allowed jazz to function as an instrument for blacks in obtaining social recognition, financial independence and - at least to some extent- racial equality. Promotion of jazz, a predominantly African-American cultural production by famous nightclubs featuring white audiences was what allowed jazz to become the popular music genre in America. In that respect the collaboration between whites and blacks and the associated success allowed Jazz to serve as a catalyst and an opportunity for Black artists to transcend the constraints of impaired economic vertical mobility and boundaries of racial and social segregation.

Contradicting this notion stands the counter-argument that the relationship between black artists and white agents or club owners was polarized in favor of white supremacists and infused with negative vibes relating the collaboration to metaphors such as the plantation system (Travis). Rather than mutual dependency and benefit, the relationship between white club owners and black artists was depicted as a system of exploitation of black talent (Travis). However, if it wasn’t for this collaboration, jazz would have never risen to the fame which is synonymous with power and influence and thus not have the positive effect on the Black community.  

The interesting aspect is the racial inconsistency and controversy surrounding jazz. The emergence of jazz was fueled by discrimination and segregation as it provided the Black community with the freedom of cultural expression; however, what ultimately catapulted jazz to popularity was the collaboration of these racially separate subpopulations economically and musically within a socially deeply segregated society. Jazz was born out of discrimination but succeeded to alleviate the constraints that the segregated social setting in America fueling its emergence imposed on it. Jazz and art are often under-appreciated for their purely aesthetic value neglecting its deeper meaning. Jazz and art in general have served as a remedy from social and racial inequality. It provided a medium in which free expression and personal freedom did not seem alienated by white supremacy. Since jazz is based on improvisational creation which is synonymous to self-dialogue, this music genre provided the foundation for the freedom of self-expression and the freedom of cultural creation that was desperately needed by the Black community in its struggle toward racial equality (Stewart). I guess what makes this argument interesting is the irony about how racial segregation promoted the emergence of jazz as a unifying Black cultural medium, while racial collaboration within the jazz scene empowered jazz to alleviate the constraints of the social construct of discrimination under which it was created.

References

“Miles Davis: Autobiography”. Miles Davis and Quincey Toupe. Simon & Schuster. 1990

 “The Autobiography of Black Jazz”. Travis, D. J. Chicago IL: The Urban Research Institute, Inc. 1983

“Black Studies 14 Lectures”. Professor Stewart. UCSB. 2015