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RACE Civil Rights Race relations in the United States shaped both the social context and the music industry in which jazz developed.  On the other hand, jazz can be seen as one of the first areas to challenge race relations in the United States.  This was a crucial area where African Americans such as Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker received recognition. INTERPRETATIONS QUESTIONS OTHER SOURCES INTERPRETATIONS Bakara:  Bebop was part of a new language and a consciousness of change.  An inherent and crucial part of the development of civil rights revolution. Ralph Ellison:  Beboppers were the "least political of men".  DeVeaux:  Musicians kept their provocative opinions to themselves.  Although they admired leaders such as Robeson, their own political involvement was more informed by professional concerns. Peretti: Beboppers disdained political involvement although they were more politically informed and angry than earlier generations.  On the other hand, they used jazz against the dominant racial regime.  Linking Issues Culture Jazz History Race QUESTIONS How did a 'consciousness of change' in the music relate to other areas such as Civil Rights? What political views did Dizzy and his associates hold?  How did they express these views? In what ways could they be classified 'not political'?  Is this a fair evaluation? Did the musicians seem more concerned with political or economic issues?   See "The Cult of Bebop"  Lie Three Lie FourLie Four  Lie Five  Lie Five Lie Six  Lie Six   Lie Seven Lie Seven    Lie EightLie Nine  Lie Eleven   OTHER SOURCES: Texts such as Feather "The Book of Jazz", detail the humiliation and cruel treatment of musicians in the 1950s. Does Dizzy portray this side of the experience?  Is this an indication of the nature of his experience or the way he presented his autobiography?