The Cold War, two superpowers divvying up the global map. Each side, Soviet and Western, had their missiles, but they also had cultural weapons: propaganda through the arts. America had an idea: to export jazz, as a sign of democratic superiority. Problem was, with a civil rights crisis at home, they had nothing to brag about.
"The Journey to Jazz and Human Rights" is hosted by Alana Bridgewater.
Little Rock Arkansas, 1957. Schools will not end segregation. Pop music, which wants to sing about girls and cars, pays no attention. But jazz,...
We know the star women vocalists of jazz: Billie, Ella. But beyond the fame are the women who toiled behind the scenes, faced discrimination,...
In 1910, most African-Americans live in the south. But economic hard times push them north, to find work. And jazz follows. The problem is...