Black music and artistic expression have revolutionized American culture and activism. From the melodic, melancholic blues to rap and hip hop, this music first born on plantations ultimately planted the seeds for all American genres that followed. As Wesley Morris states in the New York Times’ ongoing 1619 project, which focuses on contextualizing American history with the African American experience, “For centuries, black music, forged in bondage, has been the sound of complete artistic freedom.”
The spirit behind Black voices is what fuels the music that so effortlessly captivates its listeners. According to the 1619 project, Black music is filled with creativity and expression that comes with improvisation, reflecting a freedom the Black slaves on plantations only felt through music. Rough, playful, spiritual, exhausted, and hopeful tones flow through the music and possess its listeners, regardless of race—including figures like Elvis Presley and the Beatles, who were strongly influenced by Black music.
In addition, the Harlem Renaissance of the early 20th century was an era in history that sparked the creation of riveting Black music. Coinciding with the Roaring Twenties, artists like Bessie Smith, Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, and Ella Fitzegerald became national stars for their jazz music, according to Biography. The growth of artwork, literature, and music in the Black community spurred pride and self-esteem that set the scene for the civil rights movement of the 50s and 60s, according to the National Museum of African American History and Culture.
Jazz, rock ‘n’ roll, hip hop, folk, and sacred music genres also came from Black people; the sheer multitude of artists, groups, and sub-genres of Black music are nearly impossible to cover in one mere article, which shows just how large this movement is.
While Black musicians are responsible for much of the amalgamation called Western music, they are rarely credited. Since slavery, African music has been dissociated from its primary purpose of uplifting Black people, and instead is used to please and entertain white people. According to Vince Dixon’s website, slave masters learned how to use the African banjo from their slaves only to perform “coon songs” and minstrel shows that belittled Black people. During the Harlem Renaissance, the Black artists in the famous Harlem’s Cotton Club could only perform for white audiences—Black people weren’t allowed to join the club as patrons. Some Black musicians set to perform in packed venues couldn’t even enter through the main door, and while performing, they had a clear view of ropes separating Black concertgoers from the white ones.
As Dixon aptly states, “America’s admiration for black culture has always coincided with its blatant disdain for black people.” To remedy the racism that still taints discourse today, we should uplift Black artists in the genres their ancestors produced and acknowledge the message behind the music. Only then can we pay proper homage to the massive influence of Black music.