Side note: [The video above is a story I did last year on MLK Day. If it inspires you to learn more about Dr. King’s work, then please do.]
What’s the soundtrack to your life? For Dr. Martin Luther King jr., it was Jazz.
1964 was a pivotal year for Dr. King. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his work in the Civil Rights Movement and played a major role in getting President Johnson to sign the Civil Rights Act. He was named Time Magazine’s Man Of The Year. But perhaps what was an underlooked part of his legacy is his admiration for Jazz and The Blues.
For the inauguration of the Berlin Jazz Festival, Dr. King was asked to write a forward for the program. While he didn’t attend the festival, his presence is felt in the essay.
In times of despair and hopelessness, Jazz music provides a nutrient to the soul that one may not have realized was there, Dr. King said.
“Jazz speaks for life,” he said. “The Blues tell the story of life’s difficulties, and if you think for a moment, you will realize that they take the hardest realities of life and put them into music, only to come out with some new hope or sense of triumph.”
Jazz was the radical music of its time. Artists like Public Enemy, Rage Against The Machine and later on someone like Kendrick Lamar have made what is considered conscious music. Jazz music was revolutionary and controversial, much like Dr. King.
And much like his movements, jazz brings people together.
Jason Hainsworth—musician and executive director of Roots, Jazz and American music at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, said understanding the origin of jazz music is crucial.
“As musicians we can’t forget that real progress and change isn't quick and easy,” said Hainsworth. “Most times, in fact, it's dirty, slow, sometimes anger-fueled and that speaks to the experience resilience of Black people in America and the music which is borne from these experiences.”
You’re probably off today. If you are, do yourself a favor and take the time to read some of Dr. King’s work [here’s a link to his essay on the Berlin Jazz festival].
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