D.C. Jazz History
Even before jazz came into its own, D.C. was a hub of black music, with clubs along U Street drawing racially diverse crowds in a city that was otherwise segregated.
Even before jazz came into its own, D.C. was a hub of black music, with clubs along U Street drawing racially diverse crowds in a city that was otherwise segregated. As jazz developed and artists from and traveling through the District made their mark in the field, the city struggled through the years leading up to and after the Civil Rights movement. We consider the city's deep connections to some jazz greats, its complex racial history, and where the legacy of performers past is reflected today.
Maurice Jackson
Professor of History, Georgetown University; author of "Let This Voice Be Heard: Anthony Benezet, Father of Atlantic Abolitionism" (Univ. of Pennsylvania Press)
Blair Ruble
Vice President for Programs, Wilson Center; author, "Washington's U Street: A Biography"
http://thekojonnamdishow.org/shows/2014-05-13/dc-jazz-history
About the Authors
Blair A. Ruble
Former Wilson Center Vice President for Programs (2014-2017); Director of the Comparative Urban Studies Program/Urban Sustainability Laboratory (1992-2017); Director of the Kennan Institute for Advanced Russian Studies (1989-2012) and Director of the Program on Global Sustainability and Resilience (2012-2014)
Maurice Jackson
Associate Professor of History and African American Studies and Affiliated Professor of Performing Arts (Jazz) at Georgetown University
Urban Sustainability Laboratory
Since 1991, the Urban Sustainability Laboratory has advanced solutions to urban challenges—such as poverty, exclusion, insecurity, and environmental degradation—by promoting evidence-based research to support sustainable, equitable and peaceful cities. Read more
