Art and activism : jazz artists and writers in the civil rights vanguard / Jack R. Marchbanks

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Marchbanks, Jack R., Author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

African Americans--Civil rights.

African American entertainers--Political activity.

African American jazz musicians--Political activity.

African American political activists--Political activity.

Politics and culture.

Race relations.

United States.

Genre:

History

Physical Description:

1 online resource

Place of Publication:

Athens : Ohio University Press, [2026]

Summary:

"Explore how jazz legends and literary icons united art and activism, shaping the civil rights movement and transforming American culture during the pivotal period between 1955 and 1965.Art and Activism explores the powerful, symbiotic relationships among artists such as Nina Simone, Abbey Lincoln, and Lena Horne and their literary counterparts—Lorraine Hansberry, Maya Angelou, and Langston Hughes. These creative figures positioned themselves as cultural thought leaders within the evolving civil rights movement. While the Jim Crow South was the movement’s operational front, Jack Marchbanks argues that New York City’s intellectual, cultural, and fundraising communities functioned as its strategic command center. Readers who admire jazz legends like Duke Ellington, Dave Brubeck, Miles Davis, and Charles Mingus—and those fascinated by prominent African American writers like James Baldwin and Ralph Ellison—will discover how these artists intertwined their work with the civil rights struggle. The book examines their involvement in pivotal confrontations and their connections with key leaders such as the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Daisy Bates, Ella Baker, and Malcolm X. By illuminating the intersection of art and activism, this study offers a fresh perspective on the pivotal decade from 1955 to 1965. It is an essential resource for undergraduate courses and an engaging read for anyone seeking to understand the civil rights era through a cultural lens"-- JSTOR

Contents:

Jazz in cultural ascendance

Ellington and Hughes, the patriarchs

Little Rock galvanizes the movement and jazz, 1957-1959

African anticolonialism and the American Civil Rights Movement in the early 1960s

Making their voices heard: women jazz artists and writers in the early 1960s

Artist advocacy in the Civil Rights Movement’s most tumultuous year

Much more than rhythm and melody

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index

Online resource; title from PDF title page (JSTOR, viewed April 16, 2026)

Other Format:

Print version: Marchbanks, Jack R. Art and activism

ISBN:

9780821426883

0821426885

OCLC:

1574043374