The Racial Climate of the Swing Era

Racial tension during the 1930s was gaining momentum as the country moved further from the Civil War and began to work toward the beginnings of the Civil Rights movement. The “Swing Era” of the 1930s is in many ways characterized by this increased racial tension, as the competition between black and white musicians grew while the audiences, critics and producers remained for the most part white. This dynamic created a progressively more aggressive racial climate, with increasing animosity on both sides. As a result, race became a highly relevant topic in discussion regarding the 1930s and the development of the swing style.

One factor that lead to the increased attention on race during the 1930 was the heightened competition between black and white musicians following the development of the swing genre. This increased competition was in a large part due to the Great Depression. While the country fell into economic ruin, a successful musician could escape the ubiquitous poverty of the period but, given the present economic condition, more and more people found themselves jobless and desperate for success. For example, Kansas City during the 1930s was a popular destination for musicians, who were brought to the city due to economic necessity. In cities like these, jazz and swing were tied to leisure and alcohol, and the music became a style of performance that called for dancing and a festive climate . However, in contrast to the music “sanctuaries” present in Chicago during the 20s, where black people could enjoy the freedom and relaxation of a friendly atmosphere, these kinds of clubs saw the emergence of the white jazz audience. No longer a genre performed for and by black people, swing opened the doors for increased competition between white and black musicians and therefore heightened racial tension.

Another component of the increased relevance of race during the 1930s was the dynamic of the “white jazz critic,” where white musicians and audience members were put in the position of judging and interpreting jazz music according to their own schema for what jazz “should” be. Though jazz was becoming an integral part of the musical world, no longer necessarily perceived as low class, it was only through its presentation by white musicians and to white audiences that it was able to do so. As a result, black musicians were stunted in their exposure and success, and even successful musicians were told how they should and should not sound. For example, Duke Ellington was a highly successful jazz musician whose career was to a large degree so prosperous because he evolved his music in response to white tastes, cultivating a facade of willingness to tolerate the inequalities of the industry to achieve commercial achievement. However, he was also criticized by his white producers for not being “connected to Black subculture,” demonstrating the irony of the dynamic of the white critic. While black musicians like Duke Ellington were being judged and criticized by their white audiences, white musicians became increasingly dominant in the swing genre, with artists like Benny Goodman taking over and perpetuating the social and political dominance for white people as a whole.


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