Afrosimilation

This week's theme of swing music demonstrated an interesting part of African American assimilation post slavery. The slave songs of the early and mid 1800s relate to the underground and closeted culture of the African Americans, with their hidden messages and spiritual meanings. This led into the jazz following the turn of the century that held a much more joyous and energetic tone and finally swing music. The collaborative nature of black and white swing musicians illustrates the beginnings of integration in American society. The more the races mixed through music, the more the two cultures were able get used to one another and more smoothly integrate.