honors independent study project
Research Synthesis
The African American has traditionally played a secondary role in a white man's society. However, a slow change has taken place, elevating the black man from a slave to an equal member of society, exemplified by our black president. From the Emancipation Proclamation to the Civil Rights Movement, African Americans have fought for hundreds of years to escape discrimination. In the 1920's, arguably the most important movement occurred to elevate the black man toward equality, both in the law and society. It was called the Harlem Renaissance, and it forever shaped the way that the "Negro" was viewed in America. Throughout this literary movement, there were two groups; the "Talented Tenth", convinced that the black man needed to be portrayed in a very favorable way; and the others, who portrayed a more realistic version of the black man.
The influence of the Talented Tenth should not be underestimated. Spearheaded by the most powerful writers and rhetoricians of the time like W.E.B. Du Bois and Alain Locke, this group was responsible for showing the wealthy white population that black men had the talent to thrive in society. As Locke writes in his essay about the New Negro; “The Old Negro, we must remember, was a creature of moral debate and historical controversy… [The New Negro] is contributing his share to the new social understanding.” Men like Du Bois and Locke educated the public about the black man’s new role in society, as an equal to the white man at the very least. Using cultured and and rhetorically impactful prose, these educated black men attempted to portray the whole race as talented and cultured, above the white population instead of as equals. Though this had a profound affect on the educated white population, the majority of the United States was poor at the time, uneducated and immune to the eloquent musings of men like Du Bois and Locke.
The other side of the literary movement in the Harlem Renaissance included famous authors like Zora Neale Hurston and Langston Hughes and took a more egalitarian approach to the issue. These literary giants preferred to portray the black man as an equal member of humanity, making mistakes on his way to greatness. In Hughes’ novel Not Without Laughter, he shows a dichotomy between the Talented Tenth and regular black culture. Sandy, the youngest son of the family, is the main protagonist in the story. As he moves from his traditional black grandma, Hager, to his wealthy, white-acting aunt Tempy, Sandy’s inner monologue reveals Hughes’ bias and contribution to the Harlem Renaissance. Though Sandy is intelligent and receives great opportunities when he moves in with Tempy, he finds himself missing the black community he was raised in. Through Sandy’s life and journey, Hughes depicts the endearing qualities of lower black culture, highlighting the absence of racism when white and black converge in the satanic pleasures of jazz and sex. For Hughes, the answer was not in the hands of the Talented Tenth, but in the hands of the average American. Even though the Talented Tenth writers helped tremendously in elevating the perception of the Negro, jazz was the art form that truly changed the black man's standing in society.
It’s undeniable that there was a broad range of influences in the Harlem Renaissance, from the Talented Tenth to writers like Hughes. But where did music fit in? As Langston Hughes mentions in the beginning of Not Without Laughter, the lower-class black people were ecstatic about early jazz, attending parties and dances where they’d stay out all night long, singing and swaying to the raucous music. Though the wealthy social classes of the time preferred to remain rooted in classical music, one scene painted by Hughes shows why jazz became the phenomenon that it did. Sandy is taken by his teenage Aunt Harriet to a dance party with live jazz in a dark, alcohol-filled room. On the chaotic dance floor, there is no distinguishing between black and white, poor and rich, moral and immoral. There is only the music, possessing the eerie quality of overpowering all thought and rationality. Jazz had the power of being accessible to anyone of the time; it was a unifying force that helped the poor population to dispel racism and think of blacks as equals.
But one question remains: how did jazz transform, from being the “devil’s music” of the early 1900s to the classy, upscale music of today? It clearly has evolved from the primitive party music that Hughes writes about, and, similarly to the literature at the time, in its upward expansion it showcased the black man’s talent for the world to see. Men like Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong took jazz from the lowly music played in the slums to a classy, improvisational art form. As his music gained in fame and audience, Ellington transmitted a similar ideology to Hughes. In his song “Come Sunday”, Ellington writes: “God of love, Please look down and see my people through” and “Do unto others as you would have them do to you.” Clearly, Ellington is praying through song that black men may be equal to whites. As jazz’s reputation grew in America, the subtle ideologies transmitted through lyrics had a far greater affect on the people of the time than literature could.
Throughout American history, the black man has been striving for equal citizenship, and the fight is not over yet. Though racism still is subtly present, there are lessons to be learned from events like the Harlem Renaissance. Tackling the race problem hinges on recognizing the equality of all men and women, and this idea was more present than ever in the Harlem Renaissance. It’s been nearly 100 years since the beginnings of the black literary and artistic movement, but the words of Hughes and Ellington still ring true today: we are all one people, united under God. Let’s keep it that way.
The African American has traditionally played a secondary role in a white man's society. However, a slow change has taken place, elevating the black man from a slave to an equal member of society, exemplified by our black president. From the Emancipation Proclamation to the Civil Rights Movement, African Americans have fought for hundreds of years to escape discrimination. In the 1920's, arguably the most important movement occurred to elevate the black man toward equality, both in the law and society. It was called the Harlem Renaissance, and it forever shaped the way that the "Negro" was viewed in America. Throughout this literary movement, there were two groups; the "Talented Tenth", convinced that the black man needed to be portrayed in a very favorable way; and the others, who portrayed a more realistic version of the black man.
The influence of the Talented Tenth should not be underestimated. Spearheaded by the most powerful writers and rhetoricians of the time like W.E.B. Du Bois and Alain Locke, this group was responsible for showing the wealthy white population that black men had the talent to thrive in society. As Locke writes in his essay about the New Negro; “The Old Negro, we must remember, was a creature of moral debate and historical controversy… [The New Negro] is contributing his share to the new social understanding.” Men like Du Bois and Locke educated the public about the black man’s new role in society, as an equal to the white man at the very least. Using cultured and and rhetorically impactful prose, these educated black men attempted to portray the whole race as talented and cultured, above the white population instead of as equals. Though this had a profound affect on the educated white population, the majority of the United States was poor at the time, uneducated and immune to the eloquent musings of men like Du Bois and Locke.
The other side of the literary movement in the Harlem Renaissance included famous authors like Zora Neale Hurston and Langston Hughes and took a more egalitarian approach to the issue. These literary giants preferred to portray the black man as an equal member of humanity, making mistakes on his way to greatness. In Hughes’ novel Not Without Laughter, he shows a dichotomy between the Talented Tenth and regular black culture. Sandy, the youngest son of the family, is the main protagonist in the story. As he moves from his traditional black grandma, Hager, to his wealthy, white-acting aunt Tempy, Sandy’s inner monologue reveals Hughes’ bias and contribution to the Harlem Renaissance. Though Sandy is intelligent and receives great opportunities when he moves in with Tempy, he finds himself missing the black community he was raised in. Through Sandy’s life and journey, Hughes depicts the endearing qualities of lower black culture, highlighting the absence of racism when white and black converge in the satanic pleasures of jazz and sex. For Hughes, the answer was not in the hands of the Talented Tenth, but in the hands of the average American. Even though the Talented Tenth writers helped tremendously in elevating the perception of the Negro, jazz was the art form that truly changed the black man's standing in society.
It’s undeniable that there was a broad range of influences in the Harlem Renaissance, from the Talented Tenth to writers like Hughes. But where did music fit in? As Langston Hughes mentions in the beginning of Not Without Laughter, the lower-class black people were ecstatic about early jazz, attending parties and dances where they’d stay out all night long, singing and swaying to the raucous music. Though the wealthy social classes of the time preferred to remain rooted in classical music, one scene painted by Hughes shows why jazz became the phenomenon that it did. Sandy is taken by his teenage Aunt Harriet to a dance party with live jazz in a dark, alcohol-filled room. On the chaotic dance floor, there is no distinguishing between black and white, poor and rich, moral and immoral. There is only the music, possessing the eerie quality of overpowering all thought and rationality. Jazz had the power of being accessible to anyone of the time; it was a unifying force that helped the poor population to dispel racism and think of blacks as equals.
But one question remains: how did jazz transform, from being the “devil’s music” of the early 1900s to the classy, upscale music of today? It clearly has evolved from the primitive party music that Hughes writes about, and, similarly to the literature at the time, in its upward expansion it showcased the black man’s talent for the world to see. Men like Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong took jazz from the lowly music played in the slums to a classy, improvisational art form. As his music gained in fame and audience, Ellington transmitted a similar ideology to Hughes. In his song “Come Sunday”, Ellington writes: “God of love, Please look down and see my people through” and “Do unto others as you would have them do to you.” Clearly, Ellington is praying through song that black men may be equal to whites. As jazz’s reputation grew in America, the subtle ideologies transmitted through lyrics had a far greater affect on the people of the time than literature could.
Throughout American history, the black man has been striving for equal citizenship, and the fight is not over yet. Though racism still is subtly present, there are lessons to be learned from events like the Harlem Renaissance. Tackling the race problem hinges on recognizing the equality of all men and women, and this idea was more present than ever in the Harlem Renaissance. It’s been nearly 100 years since the beginnings of the black literary and artistic movement, but the words of Hughes and Ellington still ring true today: we are all one people, united under God. Let’s keep it that way.
Harlem Renaissance Song Lyrics
Verse 1
Waltzin’ down the alleyway
Feelin’ it’s a joyous day
Tonight he’ll give us quite the show.
Have us swingin’ and a swayin’,
And a shoutin’’ and a prayin’,
How he does it nobody knows.
It has to be
The pain he sees
When he plays for us another night.
Cause he’s not proud
That his kind aren’t allowed
He just gets to play for the white.
Even though he knows that ain’t right.
Verse 2
Throwing money up on stage
But Duke wants a different change
Cash isn’t what he’s looking for.
Though he’s smiling at us now,
As he humbly takes a bow,
I see the shame when he leaves the floor.
I ask him why
He just stands aside
When the owners reject his friends.
He tells me “Boy,
I play for the joy
And it hurts my heart that they can’t attend.
But they will see my show in the end.”
Verse 3
Now it’s 10 years gone
The country’s moving on
And the Duke is at the height of his fame.
I’m proud to say I thought wrong
Even blacks can hear his song
And now everybody knows his name.
It was the dream,
Or so it seems,
That brought the music to our ears
It was the notes,
The ones he wrote,
That got him through all of those years.
Each song another tear.
Verse 1
Waltzin’ down the alleyway
Feelin’ it’s a joyous day
Tonight he’ll give us quite the show.
Have us swingin’ and a swayin’,
And a shoutin’’ and a prayin’,
How he does it nobody knows.
It has to be
The pain he sees
When he plays for us another night.
Cause he’s not proud
That his kind aren’t allowed
He just gets to play for the white.
Even though he knows that ain’t right.
Verse 2
Throwing money up on stage
But Duke wants a different change
Cash isn’t what he’s looking for.
Though he’s smiling at us now,
As he humbly takes a bow,
I see the shame when he leaves the floor.
I ask him why
He just stands aside
When the owners reject his friends.
He tells me “Boy,
I play for the joy
And it hurts my heart that they can’t attend.
But they will see my show in the end.”
Verse 3
Now it’s 10 years gone
The country’s moving on
And the Duke is at the height of his fame.
I’m proud to say I thought wrong
Even blacks can hear his song
And now everybody knows his name.
It was the dream,
Or so it seems,
That brought the music to our ears
It was the notes,
The ones he wrote,
That got him through all of those years.
Each song another tear.
Honors Project Reflection
Tony Williams
For this project, I looked into the effects of jazz on whites and blacks in the Harlem Renaissance. During my research, I looked into men like Duke Ellington and Langston Hughes, covering both the literary and the musical sides of the movement. I chose this topic to explore my interest in jazz in a historical context and to observe its influences on the culture of the time. My topic remained the same throughout the project, allowing me to focus on reading as many primary documents as I could at the time. The primary parts of the research were reading books that were published around the time and listening to Harlem Renaissance jazz artists. By doing this, I was able to formulate an opinion on how jazz was able to affect people of the time much more profoundly than even the best literature.
Personally, I think that I grew in my appreciation of jazz history. I was always aware that a complex and rich history existed behind the music, but I never fully appreciated its power to bring people together. The most growth that came out of the project, for me, was relating my own experiences to those of men and women in the Harlem Renaissance. For example, last summer I went to a jazz camp in Westcliffe, Colorado and spent a week with only jazz musicians. Rather than talking with words, we let the music do the talking and from the very first day we felt as if we’d known each other all our lives. Similarly, I read about dance floors in the 1930’s and 40’s where race became irrelevant because of the loud, dark setting. By witnessing the power of jazz to bring people together and reading about it, I was able to make connections from history to my own life, the most important thing for me.
One substantial revision that I would have made to my project would be to put more work into the essay. Though I had a lot of sources backing up my point, I had a hard time sorting my evidence enough to back up my points with credibility. For this reason, my essay was polished and had my opinions in it, but it was not convincing because of its lack of evidence. If I could redo this project, I would have allocated more time in the early stages of the project to sort my evidence into a usable format. Another revision I would have made involves adding more to my song. Though my song included a lot of rhetorical power and narrative, it was difficult to include a lot of the facts that I had learned. In redoing this project, I would have added more words to each verse, making it longer and adding more content. To accommodate this additional content, I might have removed the musical interlude, although this helped with the jazz feeling.
As an honors student, I learned a lot throughout the project about the process. If I had to talk to a sophomore about honors, I would advise them to cram during winter break and set a schedule throughout the year. It always seemed like I had more time than I did, leading to me creating two fairly haphazard (though refined) projects that didn’t reflect my true ability. Though I was able to finish on time and used my time well throughout this last month, I should have been working much more throughout the year. I would advise any future honors student to finish their research by the New Year at the very latest, ensuring that they had all of the necessary evidence set aside for later. This would have made the project much easier for me, and I would have ended up with more refined, polished projects I could be even more proud of.
Tony Williams
For this project, I looked into the effects of jazz on whites and blacks in the Harlem Renaissance. During my research, I looked into men like Duke Ellington and Langston Hughes, covering both the literary and the musical sides of the movement. I chose this topic to explore my interest in jazz in a historical context and to observe its influences on the culture of the time. My topic remained the same throughout the project, allowing me to focus on reading as many primary documents as I could at the time. The primary parts of the research were reading books that were published around the time and listening to Harlem Renaissance jazz artists. By doing this, I was able to formulate an opinion on how jazz was able to affect people of the time much more profoundly than even the best literature.
Personally, I think that I grew in my appreciation of jazz history. I was always aware that a complex and rich history existed behind the music, but I never fully appreciated its power to bring people together. The most growth that came out of the project, for me, was relating my own experiences to those of men and women in the Harlem Renaissance. For example, last summer I went to a jazz camp in Westcliffe, Colorado and spent a week with only jazz musicians. Rather than talking with words, we let the music do the talking and from the very first day we felt as if we’d known each other all our lives. Similarly, I read about dance floors in the 1930’s and 40’s where race became irrelevant because of the loud, dark setting. By witnessing the power of jazz to bring people together and reading about it, I was able to make connections from history to my own life, the most important thing for me.
One substantial revision that I would have made to my project would be to put more work into the essay. Though I had a lot of sources backing up my point, I had a hard time sorting my evidence enough to back up my points with credibility. For this reason, my essay was polished and had my opinions in it, but it was not convincing because of its lack of evidence. If I could redo this project, I would have allocated more time in the early stages of the project to sort my evidence into a usable format. Another revision I would have made involves adding more to my song. Though my song included a lot of rhetorical power and narrative, it was difficult to include a lot of the facts that I had learned. In redoing this project, I would have added more words to each verse, making it longer and adding more content. To accommodate this additional content, I might have removed the musical interlude, although this helped with the jazz feeling.
As an honors student, I learned a lot throughout the project about the process. If I had to talk to a sophomore about honors, I would advise them to cram during winter break and set a schedule throughout the year. It always seemed like I had more time than I did, leading to me creating two fairly haphazard (though refined) projects that didn’t reflect my true ability. Though I was able to finish on time and used my time well throughout this last month, I should have been working much more throughout the year. I would advise any future honors student to finish their research by the New Year at the very latest, ensuring that they had all of the necessary evidence set aside for later. This would have made the project much easier for me, and I would have ended up with more refined, polished projects I could be even more proud of.