Black Expression in the 20 th Century

1. Black Expression in the 20th Century Ilyasah Shabazz

2. What is Black Expression?

3. Components of Black Expression • Creativity • Experience • Art forms • Literature • Music • Dance • Drama • Visual art

4. Black Expression in the 20th Century • Turn of the Century • The New Negro Movement • Fight for Civil Rights • Modern Era

5. Turn of the Century (1900-1919) • Prior to the 20th century • Negro spirituals • Literature • Charles W. Chestnutt and Paul Laurence Dunbar

6. Turn of the Century cont.. Booker T. Washington W.E.B. DuBois • Through industrial training, the Black-American will gain self-respect and economic independence. • These two entities should come before social equality. • Through civilized and peaceful method, equality as stated in the Declaration of Independence will be achieved.

7. Turn of the Century cont.. • Publications for Black-American audiences • The Crisis • The Chicago Defender • One of the first outlets for black expression

8. The New Negro Movement (1919-1935) • Great Migration • Mass movement of southern populations to Northern cities • Harlem as a cultural center • Chicago • Detroit • Cleveland • Philadelphia

9. The New Negro Movement cont.. • Cultural Uprising (Literature) • “If We Must Die” –Claude McKay (Red Summer 1919) • If we must die, let it not be like hogsHunted and penned in an inglorious spot,While round us bark the mad and hungry dogs,Making their mock at our accursed lot.If we must die, O let us nobly die,So that our precious blood may not be shedIn vain; then even the monsters we defyShall be constrained to honor us though dead!O kinsmen we must meet the common foe!Though far outnumbered let us show us brave,And for their thousand blows deal one deathblow!What though before us lies the open grave?Like men we'll face the murderous, cowardly pack,Pressed to the wall, dying, but fighting back!

10. The New Negro Movement cont.. • Cultural Uprising (music/dance) • “Strange Fruit” by Billie Holiday (lynchings of 1930) • Jazz Age • Evolved from blues music • Sound is unique to area

11. The New Negro Movement cont.. • Jazz Age • New Orleans • 3 voices, rhythmic section, upbeat tempo • Chicago • Uniform sound, easy-listening • Swing Era was a spin-off of the Jazz Age

12. The New Negro Movement cont.. • Swing Era • Jazz artists use improvisation more • Scat | BeBop • Fast tempos, intricate melodies, complex harmonies • Dance with freeze moves and kicks

13. The New Negro Movement cont.. • Swing era continues on throughout World War II • Creates familiarity and projects happiness for soldiers • Dance evolves with the music

14. The New Negro Movement cont.. • Cultural Uprising (drama) • Shuffle Along • First all black cast in a Broadway play

15. The New Negro Movement cont.. Clubs Radio • A venue for blacks to share their creativity and experience with others • Integration of places that were previously segregated • Apollo • Cotton Club • Savoy Ballroom • Invention allowed blues and jazz music to be broadcasted to mass audiences • Narrows the racial gap

16. The New Negro Movement cont.. • Themes continued on through the 1950s • Individualism • Richard Wright’s Black Boy • Struggle (experience) • Lorraine Hansberry’s Raisin in the Sun is the first play produced by a Black-American female on Broadway • Black family integrating a pre-dominantly white neighborhood • A work reflective of the black experience

17. Fight for Civil Rights (1955-1968) • Emerging literary and visual artists • Maya Angelou (Poet) • Romare Bearden (Artist) • Elizabeth Catlett (Artist) • Many more..

18. Fight for Civil Rights cont.. Rock & Roll Rhythm & Blues • combination of blues tunes, gospel music, jazz-influenced vocal music • Rebellion • Youth • Closing race barriers • New artists emerge • Little Richard • Joe Turner • Chuck Berry • combines the sound of 1950s jazz and blues with 1960s soul music • State of desire – Motown Era • Love and relationships • Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow by the Shirelles • Current social climate • What’s Going On by Marvin Gaye

19. Fight for Civil Rights cont.. • International Recognition • Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater • modern dance of the 1950s,classical ballet, African vernacular dance • John F. Kennedy selects AAADT to tour the Far East, Southeast Asia, and Australia

20. Fight for Civil Rights cont.. Martin Luther King Jr. Malcolm X • Nonviolent resistance to be the most impactful way to lobby for social change • Urged Black-Americans to assume their role as the superior beings in America and to use any necessary means of self-defense

21. Fight for Civil Rights cont.. • Growing militancy • Black-Americans grew frustrated with the lack of progress • Black Panther Movement • roots lied in the philosophies of Malcolm X • “Black is Beautiful” campaign • Black-American artists began to construct pieces that singled out and uplifted the Black-American race • James Brown’s “I’m Black and I’m Proud”

22. Modern Era (1970 – Present day) • Continuing Militancy • Blaxploitation films • stereotyped the areas blacks lived in and the activities blacks partook in • rebellious in nature and followed some of the ideals of radicalism during the civil rights movement • featured soundtracks with funk and soul music • 1990’s black cinema • Focus on themes such as race relations, urban crime and poverty

23. Modern Era cont.. • Hip-Hop Movement (music) • Lyrics • Fast-paced rhythmic delivery • Material possessions • DJing • Cutting • Spinning • Mixing • Venue • Informal events such as block parties

24. Modern Era cont.. • Hip-Hop Movement (Dance) • Breakdancing • Intricate improv dance moves with kicks

25. Modern Era cont.. • Hip-Hop Movement (art) • Graffiti • Quick-handed and elaborate • Free expression  militancy and rebellion

26. What is Black Expression?