In the history of black music, cultural appropriation of African-American music seems to be a recurring issue. “African-American musical sensibilities have profoundly affected mainstream popular culture over the years, appearances to the country notwithstanding.” (Hall 31) There is a complicated relationship between American popular mainstream and African-American culture that is clearly shown in music. There is also something about their melody and rythemns that attract white folks into appropriating their unique art. Despite their musical talents and contributions, “Black faces” were still rejected. Appropriation of black music happened repeatedly throughout history at different times and places. Is this type of act necessarily a bad thing? There are endless examples, but I would like to talk about the blackface minstrel show and Jazz along with the racial depiction shown in music. This topic has led me to many questions that I feel should be answered. Who was Thomas Rice? Did appropriation of African American culture really occur or was it all just false accausations? Was there actually an elderly black stableman with rag clothes and a crooked leg? How did Rice’s performance become popular amongst the whites? Was Jazz a white creation to begin with? Thomas Rice, also known as “Daddy Rice,” was a white performer who “appropriated” African American songs and dances. Before the beginning of the semester, I’ve never heard of this name before. So, it’s my first encounter with this topic and I find it quite shocking. Every American should know that something like this existed and it is completely wrong, the enormous amount of racial depiction that was used in music. As curious as I am, I decided to do some research regarding the whole blackface entertainment and minstrel songs. I’ve learned about the whole Blackface entertainment and minstrel songs. Similar to that of Jazz, I would say that Daddy Rice was the one who started this entertainment, but it was an “appropriation” from a black man. When whites imitate African-Americans, are they admiring them, or just mocking? This entertainment was basically, the dehumanization of African Americans making them seem inferior in society. “While it was organized around quite explicit “borrowing” of black cultural materials for white dissemination (and profit), a borrowing that ultimately depended upon the material relation of slavery was amusing, right, and natural.” (Lott 23) It’s like a pattern, history being repeated. These appropriating had taken place during the time of racism and segregation when blacks and whites were separated in public. There were already blackface performers, but Thomas Rice had taken his performance to a whole new level, becoming popular and well-known throughout his career.
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These songs initiated a new style of music in the United States that centered on the mockery of African American during the time slavery. It led whites in believing that blacks were naturally lazy and inferior, suppressing them in society. There were so many racisms that hidden within the songs, yet people enjoyed it. I don’t understand how the dehumanization of African Americans could be so socially accepted. People saw something in black men that made them recognize their form of music and culture. Reasons why is because “White America has often become exposed to emerging forms of black music, for example, as part of some more general confrontation of social mores and cultural sensibilities in which the source of these innovations is invariably dehumanized and devalued.” (Hall 34) So even though blacks were considered inferior that time, whites still looked for this type of entertainment. I believe this was the start of the relationship between blacks and whites, along with white’s appropriation of African American form of entertainment. Jazz sets another good example of appropriation, like that of the blackface entertainment. Jazz is a new form of art that was given birth in New Orleans, during the early 1900s. It can help people express themselves, also having the power to rid the differences and bring people together for the sole purpose of playing music. With Jazz still being a new type of music, it continues to evolve every day. The people who created Jazz music didn’t just plan this, it was an improvisational art. So who created “Jazz?” Many people had attempted to untruthfully
These songs initiated a new style of music in the United States that centered on the mockery of African American during the time slavery. It led whites in believing that blacks were naturally lazy and inferior, suppressing them in society. There were so many racisms that hidden within the songs, yet people enjoyed it. I don’t understand how the dehumanization of African Americans could be so socially accepted. People saw something in black men that made them recognize their form of music and culture. Reasons why is because “White America has often become exposed to emerging forms of black music, for example, as part of some more general confrontation of social mores and cultural sensibilities in which the source of these innovations is invariably dehumanized and devalued.” (Hall 34) So even though blacks were considered inferior that time, whites still looked for this type of entertainment. I believe this was the start of the relationship between blacks and whites, along with white’s appropriation of African American form of entertainment. Jazz sets another good example of appropriation, like that of the blackface entertainment. Jazz is a new form of art that was given birth in New Orleans, during the early 1900s. It can help people express themselves, also having the power to rid the differences and bring people together for the sole purpose of playing music. With Jazz still being a new type of music, it continues to evolve every day. The people who created Jazz music didn’t just plan this, it was an improvisational art. So who created “Jazz?” Many people had attempted to untruthfully