Jazz music: From black pride to political consciousness to social change in the United States

Jeremy Julian  Sarkin; Eryn  Sarkin

doi:10.59400/jps.v2i1.1426

Jazz music: From black pride to political consciousness to social change in the United States

Jeremy Julian Sarkin NOVA School of Law and CEDIS, NOVA University of Lisbon, 1099-032 Lisbon, Portugal; Institute of Commonwealth Studies, School of Advanced Studies, University of London, London WC1E 7HU, United Kingdom; Department of Public Law, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0028, South Africa; Department of Criminology, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein 9300, South Africa
Eryn Sarkin Independent Researcher, B-1047 Brussels, Belgium

Ariticle ID: 1426

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.59400/jps.v2i1.1426

Keywords: music; jazz; United States of America; African Americans; human rights; pride; consciousness; social change

Abstract

African Americans have been marginalised, discriminated against, and excluded from American society for centuries. First as slaves, but later when they gained emancipation, they remained relegated, differentiated, and discounted, in a range of areas, including in the political and economic spheres. Music has been a means to promote their greater inclusion in American society, drawing together and uniting all Americans through its power. While there have been links drawn between music and the African American struggle for equality, there has not been sufficient focus on the pivotal role that specifically jazz music has played in this regard. Jazz particularly has been a vehicle for promoting Black pride, political consciousness, and social change. This article argues that jazz has had a major effect on African American culture, society, and experience. Analysing the works of legendary jazz musicians James Brown, John Coltrane, Billie Holiday, and The Temptations, this article shows that jazz is not only as a catalyst for, but a driving force in, the fight for political freedom, as well as for economic empowerment, which is arguably still ongoing today.

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Published

2024-08-05

How to Cite

Sarkin, J. J., & Sarkin, E. (2024). Jazz music: From black pride to political consciousness to social change in the United States. Journal of Policy and Society, 2(1), 1426. https://doi.org/10.59400/jps.v2i1.1426

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Vol. 2 No. 1 (2024)

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Article

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