An ode to Black musicians: How they fought discrimination with music – The Cougar

Music history is Black history. Filled with the pioneering jazz musicians of the 1930s and 1940s, to the sensual Soul artists of the 1960s and 1970s and the bold Hip-Hop creatives of the 1990s. 

Innovative, emotionally charged and intellectually poignant are a few words that describe many of the great African American Musicians. The intellectual and cultural exchange of music has been a pivotal tool to help tear down racial barriers, influence and persuade in the fight for civil rights. 

The history of African American musicians shows that cultural influence precedes political change and that, without the social leverage gained by many Black musicians, the fight for civil rights would have been a much longer, tougher battle.

Creating leverage

Nina Simone, at just 12 years old during her first classical recital, watched as her parents were forced into the back to accommodate white patrons. Nina then promptly refused to perform until her parents were moved back to the front. Even at such a young age, Nina Simone understood the universal truth that talent is a form of social influence.

African American musicians were trailblazers in promoting a culture that was less prejudiced and discriminatory, both directly and indirectly. Many African American musicians, like Duke Ellington, were the first to be allowed in segregated spaces as entertainers.

This vanguard of African Americans indirectly challenged many racist preconceived notions. Their displays of technical brilliance in music stood in sharp contrast with prejudiced expectations of how African Americans should act.

Duke Ellington and Billie Holiday’s performances were more than just music; they were a conversation. A conversation that African Americans were no different and didn’t deserve to be discriminated against.

Furthermore, through their musical performances, many African Americans gained wealth and popularity, enabling them to refuse to perform in segregated venues. This would have been unthinkable to anyone living in the Jim Crow era, but musicians were such valuable assets that it allowed African Americans privileges of a much later time as they broke barriers of who had financial and societal power.

Soft Power

Music has always been a tool for advocacy. For African Americans during the civil rights era, it had more purpose than just simply pushing for political change, as it was used as an honest recount of their struggles. 

Many songs, such as Nina Simone’s “Four Women” or Billie Holiday’s “Strange Fruit,” presented the chilling reality of life in slavery in a particularly frightening way. It leaves no room for anyone to deny the injustices that African Americans faced.  

For the people who didn’t witness these cruelties on a daily basis or chose to minimize and ignore discrimination, it shone a light on a part of society that many people did not want to address. This music served as a form of soft power in the fight for better and equal rights, as it increased sympathy for the plight of African Americans.

What made music so effective in these circumstances stems from its ease of portability for people of all races. Black people could not usually enter white people’s spaces, but music had the power to infiltrate any space, even ones that were separated.

Political changes and policies follow the way of the times. If America didn’t have musicians who pushed for societal change, the task of integration and tearing down racial barriers would have been much more grueling.

The trail left by African American musicians laid the foundation for many artists to learn about how to use their platform to advocate for their own social causes. Music is a frontier for societal culture, with African American musicians often being raiders of discrimination and prejudice that lingers within it. 

opinion@thedailycougar.com