Racial Barriers in Jazz

     Ever since the first outbreaks of the jazz form in New Orleans in the late 1800s, race had always been an underlying issue. In New Orleans, there was a tension between both slaves and their masters and between blacks and Creoles. In Chicago, there was a clear divide between the black southern side and the mostly white northern side. In New York, there were two Harlems with two very different racial compositions. Although there had always been this racial tension since jazz was created, it was never really explicitly talked about and never became a prominent national issue. However, as America entered the 1930s and the economy began to fall, the racial implications that came with jazz gained much publicity as jazz became more widespread.

     By the 1930s, jazz had spread throughout most of the nation due to the invention of the radio and the development of popular jazz magazines such as “Down Beat” magazine. People could now listen to jazz from the comfort of their home, rather than go out to a club. While good news for the jazz industry as a whole, many musicians suffered from this new “convenience.” As less people were going out to clubs, competition for air-time on the radio became fierce. Instead of having many different bands to choose from, a very few number of bands dominated the radio. Blacks were typically thought to have the edge over whites in jazz, but by 1935, some people could no longer distinguish between white and black bands. As a result, competition between whites and blacks become even more serious, and presented new racial issues.

     As jazz gained popularity from the radio, more and more critics began to analyze jazz. Race in jazz had been looked over in the past, but with the industry growing, these critics finally had to address it. One such critic, John Hammond, was one of the most prominent writers who looked at the correlation between race and jazz. Hammond was associated with the Vanderbilts and had acquired a large trust fund at a young age. He later became a jazz enthusiast and used his money to promote lesser known musicians he would encounter in night clubs, such as Benny Goodman, Billie Holiday, Count Basie, and many others. Hammond was also an advocate of racial equality, and asserted that “only by unity between Negros and whites will they be able to survive and flourish” (Swing Changes, 61). Hammond pushed for one of the first instances of integrating jazz when he hired a black pianist, Teddy Wilson, to play in Benny Goodman’s band. Down Beat magazine praised Hammond’s actions and wrote an article saying “that regardless of race, creed or color we are all Americans, and that as Americans we are all free and equal” (Swing Changes, 75). Not only did Hammond push for integration of jazz bands, but he also criticized those who did nothing to stop it. Duke Ellington, who played at the whites-only “Cotton Club,” became Hammond’s biggest target. Hammond said that Duke had “shut his eyes to the abuses being heaped upon his race and his original class.” While some think jazz is just a form of entertainment, it is clear that it was much more than that. Jazz had begun to make people question the racial barriers in society and to think about integration.

     While race had always been an underlying issue in jazz, it can be clearly seen why the issue became explicitly written and talked about during the swing era in the 1930s. More critics meant more chances for someone to finally bring up the obvious segregation of jazz bands. Since the issue was finally being talked about, the first steps towards fixing them could finally be taken. As people tried to bring equality to the music industry, other groups started to push for equal rights in society as well. While jazz did not single-handedly bring about the beginnings of the civil rights movement, it certainly did help people begin to think about racial barriers and how to break them.