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Paulo Daniel JimenezEnglish 101Dr. Whiteley 12/20/2014The Effects of Jazz on the status of Women and African AmericansEver since jazz has been created, it has played a tremendously large role in society. From the beginning of ragtime in the early 19th century, all the way to the invention of acid jazz, fusion, and modern jazz in the 21st century, we can view jazz not only as music and entertainment, but also as a means of regulating society. Whether we are talking about its influence on peoples spirits in the late 1920s and early 1930s or if we talk about its evolution to Swing in the 1930s and 1940s, we see jazz as a form improving society through common desires and emotions.Jazz, which is considered as todays mild or even as classical music, (Farley 113-114) once was considered to be obscene or even devils music. Some people even believed that jazz could cause impairments on the people who listened to it. (Johnson 13) Indeed, jazz cured some of the impairments of society.Jazz, causing innumerable changes in society, has been a vital aspect since its invention in the early 19th century. Of all of the changes jazz brought, the most important one is how jazz had an impulse on equality for women and black people. All these changes are reflected on society in various ways. Without jazz, todays society could probably still be racial or male chauvinist. Jazz furthered many movements that supported the equality of people. For example, it elevated aspects of African-Americans, and it also granted certain freedom to women that they did not have before. Many of todays things, such as literature, fashion, and even music, would not be what they are if it was not because of jazz. At the time jazz was being invented, it was a complete new and crazy thing. The effects it had on society were new and crazy as well. People of the 19th century were innovative people, just as jazz was innovative music. Jazz reflected many of the ideas that people had, but they were afraid to say. Women in the early 19th century lived in a society characterized by gender inequality. Women were seen as a figure below men. One of the major changes that jazz brought was to change this inequality. How can a style of music do this? Well, jazz was a new innovation. Before jazz everything was more classical. Music was square; it had unbreakable rules, and formats to follow, the same as society. Just like music, women were expected to follow certain rules, to dress in a certain way, and to behave in a certain way. Frederick Allen stated that "Women were the guardians of morality; they were made of finer stuff than men and were to act accordingly" (Lewis 73)Jazz caused a revolution as it appeared because jazz broke all the rules that music had. Women, as jazz, rebelled against societys rules inspired by this new style of music. Jazz music granted an outlet for rebellion in many ways. Jazz was raucous, discordant; Culture was harmonious, embodying order and reason,Lawerence Levine Said, Jazz Was accessible, spontaneous; Culture was exclusive, complex, available only through hard study and training.(Lawrence 7)The audience of jazz was involved in the music as well as the performer. Hand clapping, foot stomping, singing, and the most important, dancing. The nature of jazz, more vigorous, animated, and syncopated, helped to bring out a new style of dancing never seen before. The improvisational and uninhibited feel of jazz was perfect for woman to rebel against society because of sexual behavior it encouraged. We could even state that the reaction of the people to early jazz gave birth to todays modern dances such as binding or grinding. Until jazz, people (women specially) could not dance something else than a waltz because it was seen as socially wrong. This caused greater changes in women. The outfit of the 1900s women had to change. No more long and elegant dresses were needed. Instead women had to use more comfortable clothes that let them dance freely. Jazz required shorter and shorter dresses that would allow freedom of movement to dance. This would be completely unacceptable before jazz. Women were starting to gain more freedom.As womens image was changing in society, society was opening doors to women. Many job opportunities were presented to women that before would be socially unacceptable, such as dancers, singers, and musicians. All of this jazzy performing careers gave woman a greater place in society. Each time, women status was equating mens.But not only jazz brought benefits for women. It also implied a change in society for African Americans.Duke Ellington, Sonny Rollins, Miles Davis, Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, Elvin Jones, Art Blakey, Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Count Basie, Etc. What do all of these have in common? Three important things. First, all of them were amazing jazz exponents of the 20th century. Second, they all were African American people. And the most important, white people loved them! This is one of the most important things that raised the status of African Americans. The culture of a minority became the desire of a majority.These artist had the power to influence on society because they were admired. We can find what Duke Ellington did in Groothuis work: He [Ellington] spoke out for racial equality when needed and performed many free concerts for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.(25) This messages would reach a lot of people and help establish equality among whites and blacks. Duke Ellingtons music celebrated the dignity and the achievements of the African American culture in the United States. (Groothuis 26)Jazz brought many changes with it. The world would be complete different without it and all the good things it caused. Can you imagine a world where women and colored people would still be seen below men and white people? Thanks to jazz, we now live in a world where mostly, people support egalitarianism.

Bibliography

Farley, Jeff. "Jazz as a Black American Art Form: Definitions of the Jazz Preservation Act". Journal of American Studies, Vol. 45, No. 1(2011), pp. 113-129. JSTOR. Web. 03 Nov 2014Groothuis, Douglas. "Duke Ellington and Biblical Equality." Priscilla Papers 28.2 (2014): 25-28. Academic Search Complete. Web. 31 Oct. 2014.L. Johnson, Russel. Disease Is Unrhythmical: Jazz, Health, and Disability in 1920s America. Health and History, Vol. 13, No. 2, Special Feature: Health and Disability(2011), pp. 13-42. JSTOR. Australian and New Zealand Society of the History of Medicine. Web. 03 Nov 2014Lawrence W. Levine.Jazz and American Culture". The Journal of American Folklore, Vol. 102, No. 403(1989), pp. 6-22. JSTOR. Web. Nov 04 2014.Lewis Allen, Frederick. Only Yesterday: An Informal History of the 1920s. Jhon Wiley and Sons, Inc. New York (1997)