The Birth of Jazz

Born in the heart of New Orleans, Louisiana, jazz made its way onto the scene. With AfricanAmericans at the helm, the redlight district housed this new genre of music and talented artists during what is now known as a monumental moment in American history. Blending various styles, musicians like Louis Armstrong and Bessie Smith found their star rising. But as the genre grew, many obstacles came along with it. Controversy around the genre led to the military shutting down the creative hub for good in 1917. In this episode of Black History in Two Minutes or So hosted by Henry Louis Gates Jr. , with additional commentary from Farah Griffin of Columbia University, we unpack a genre created by AfricanAmericans that, despite the controversy, still found a way to thrive on the international scene.