Drew University Library : University Archives : Theses and Dissertations
    
author Vincent Unger
title The Influence of the "New Negro Movement" Among Jazz Musicians
abstract The Harlem Renaissance is usually thought of as a literary movement. However, it was much more than that, the Harlem Renaissance was a movement among the arts, music, and literature. The intellectual elite of Harlem saw the Harlem renaissance as new era for the African-American: one where African Americans could rise up from poverty to the middle class, and, shake off the stereotype of the primitive savage. The "New Negro Movement" was started by Alain Locke an W.E.B. Du Bois. Locke would lay the foundation for the movement with his book The New Negro. Du Bois on the other hand, would focus on educating African Americans about their African heritage. While integral to the movement, jazz music would be overlooked by Locke and other leaders of the movement. The New Negro only devotes a single entry to jazz in historian J.A. Roger’s "Jazz At Home."

Musicians Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington and William Grant Still would become an integral part of the "New Negro Movement." Duke Ellington would make great strides as one of the most popular jazz musicians. William Grant Still would excel as a musician and a composer. These two musicians would pave the way for many young musicians.

As leaders of the "New Negro Movement," each musician had their own goals. Duke Ellington blended the spirituals with jazz and blues to make them more popular. Ellington was not one to sign petitions, instead he let his music do the talking. William Grant Still aimed to destroy the notion that certain spaces were reserved only for white musicians. He would perform symphonies at some of the most famous stages in America like Carnegie Hall. Still broke barriers as the first African American to compose a symphony. William Grant Still is often referred to as the Dean of African American Composers because of his contributions to symphonic or concert music. Duke Ellington on the other hand would become one of the most famous jazz musicians of all time. The impact of their music on the "New Negro Movement," cannot be underestimated.

school The Caspersen School of Graduate Studies, Drew University
degree M.Litt. (2021)
advisor Dr. Robert Butts
full textVUnger.pdf