Jazz was a result of the first free African Americans living in new conditions. This discovery of uplifting and original music redefined expressions of African Americans and their heritage. Between the World Wars, the hostile racism throughout the American society had finally begun to diminish. However, before World War I, and for sometime after, Europeans believed that they were much superior to the African race. In fact, it wasn’t until 1863 that Africans living in America were freed from slavery (http://www.infoplease.com/spot/bhmtimeline.html). This attitude was developed from Social Darwinism which is the idea of natural selection applied to human society (http://www.allaboutscience.org/what-is-social-darwinism-faq.htm). From this theory, Americans looked at the Africans, free and not free, as people who were underdeveloped and on a lower scale of physical and mental development. Therefore, the white Americans would never expect the African race to compose a form of music that would gain international popularity by 1920. After WWI, between 1919 and 1926, African Americans left their rural southern homes to move to urban centers in search of creative freedom and fellowship. This urban migration combined with the rise of a group of radical black intellectuals, all contributed to the unexpected success of black artists. We remember this cultural gathering today as "the Harlem Renaissance," (http://www.jcu.edu/harlem/index.htm) a period when African-American artists, writers and poets produced works that celebrated their own traditions and cultures. In the twenties, white Americans found this culture increasingly fascinating, and in New York adventurous whites made their way to Harlem to hear the new sound. White Americans first heard jazz bands play in segregated clubs. The jazz performed by African Americans influenced and changed the views of African American culture, which was once thought of as insignificant. Between the wars, many people began to feel grief due to deaths in the war and they continually questioned world progress. Also, the stock market crash of 1929 caused the Great Depression which was an era of severe economic suffering for many people. Jazz soon became the escape from the depression that took place. The clubs which white Americans visited, played jazz and were also a distraction from the problems of everyday life, even if it was for only a few hours. Jazz made people feel secure, hopeful, restless, fulfilled, and gave other positive emotions during the difficult times.
The accomplishment of developing jazz from the African American society enhanced the image of the African American living in America. White Americans were so attracted to the new music that they began to think higher of the African race for composing it. The Africans, who were once looked down upon as an immature class, slowly became more accepted because of the musical progress they were making. The Americans knew that in order to make the original music of jazz, one’s mind could not be underdeveloped. The hardship of the times enabled the cultural power of African Americans to drive a small wedge into the wall of racism separating whites from blacks. It was the optimistic music of the black jazz bands that boosted the morals of white America and transformed American culture. This artistic and musical movement fosters a better, not worse, black cultural identity.
