The Civil Rights Movement and jazz music are closely linked because only one thing was important in the world of Jazz. Jazz music was hugely loved and appreciated by everyone, regardless of race or gender. Jazz music helped build a bond between blacks and whites, bringing them together to enjoy the simple joy of art. The Civil Rights Movement was greatly influenced and shaped by jazz music’s ability to break down social barriers. Martin Luther King Jr. said that jazz was important in the movement’s success, adding, “jazz speaks about life.” The blues tell the story of life’s challenges. They take life’s most difficult facts and make music. Only then do they have hope or triumph. Louis Armstrong, one if the most iconic figures of jazz, played a key role in the movement all through his career. Armstrong, who was the victim of racial prejudice, was not afraid to speak out, but he was controversial among jazz musicians for not making more use of his position to stand up against the injustices faced by the black community.

Louis Armstrong was born in New Orleans, Louisiana in 1901. His life was difficult and difficult. His career spanned approximately fifty years, beginning in 1920 and ending in 1960. Armstrong was a highly gifted performer and charismatic. Armstrong was a prominent trumpet player and a beautiful, rich singer. Armstrong also moved the focus from jazz music to be improvisation in a group. Armstrong knew from an early age that he was not a stranger to racism. Armstrong was born during the Robert Charles Riots in 1900, when an African American Robert Charles killed a police officer who harassed him. After the incident, tensions between black people and white people went up. Armstrong’s success was made possible by the fact that he was respected and loved by all white people, despite being a part of a social climate that saw him as an inferior human being. Armstrong experienced segregation from whites and blacks in his early years of music playing on a riverboat. Although there was strong communication between him and his audience, it was not possible to bridge the gap. Although the audience enjoyed his music and was moved by it, they didn’t feel able to show compassion for him or his band members. Armstrong stated that after the performance, the African American band members “were forbidden from mingling with the white guests in any circumstance.” Armstrong stated, quite shockingly, that he “never felt any bitterness” for how he was treated in front of his white audience. These statements about how he felt regarding segregation and the white audience he was exposed to clearly didn’t go over well with his African American audience. Armstrong’s inaction and general political neutrality regarding such issues, a result of his internalized fear that he would be judged, is what most alienated him. They wanted him be more assertive about the discrimination African American residents experience daily. He did little to help social change within the white community, which was something that the black community didn’t like.

Armstrong though considered it dangerous to openly confront discrimination and prejudice. Armstrong believed being subservient in white people was necessary to his happiness and success. Armstrong discovered that success could only be enjoyed and protected if there was a white captain who would support you in the past (Armstrong). Louis Armstrong recounts his anger at Johnny Collins’ racial slur and how he had no choice but to suppress it. Even though he wanted “to smash his obscenity heads out…But that’s another story. It’s just a white person. He resisted the temptation to obscenity about Johnny and kept his mouth shut to keep him from getting into trouble. Because he wasn’t an established person with sufficient power at the time, he chose to keep his mouth shut. Armstrong maintained his silence about political issues and did not speak out until later in the course of his career. Armstrong was an established artist who had earned a reputation within white communities.

Louis Armstrong used his power to protest the actions of President Dwight Eisenhower in 1957. He wrote a letter to him. Armstrong wrote a scathing letter to President Dwight Eisenhower criticizing his inaction regarding Brown vs. Board of Education’s decision to de-segregate schools and allow nine African American students at Little Rock Central High School. It was possible to resist the law because of his silence on this important issue in American society. Armstrong’s harsh and unexpected criticisms weighed a lot and had a significant impact on Eisenhower’s administration. They also contributed significantly to the Civil Rights Movement. His anger over the treatment of his people in South America led him to refer to President Eisenhower with the words “two faces” and “no guts”. As a protest, he even cancelled his Russia goodwill tour. Armstrong’s vocal disapproval over the resistance to segregation contradicts many who claim that he is an Uncle Tom. Armstrong was also a strong advocate for his culture and did not sell out to white audiences. Armstrong kept his style, fashion and hairstyle intact, while not compromising on the white standard. Armstrong refused straightening his hair to appeal more to white people in the 1930s. He was true to his roots. Armstrong was an individualist in a world of homogenization and never gave up on his music.

Louis Armstrong was a pioneer in American history, transcending all boundaries to help propel the country forward. His ability to connect with a predominantly white audience helped him to create a better future. Armstrong showed white people that African Americans were just as capable, if no more so than average white people. Armstrong was a gifted performer who had an impressive singing voice, a great trumpet playing ability, and a vibrant personality. He was afraid of black punishment and white brutality because of his rough childhood. He was seen as an unassuming racist by the black community. Many thought Armstrong was uncaring about the problems facing black people. But, he cared. Armstrong was even a critic of the President of the United States of America at the time for his support of desegregation. He believed that there were ways to address discrimination without having to speak directly about them. He made music that normalized the experience of African Americans, and helped them to feel more comfortable with their culture than they did with Caucasian folks. He showed an audience, who were often hostile to him for his skin color that black people could be just a as talented, funny, charismatic, charismatic, and amazing as him. Armstrong created a space for black and white people to connect through music. Armstrong was deeply concerned about his race. Although he did not often use his voice to show support, he refused to conform to white culture and remained true to his roots. Louis Armstrong is an example of a jazz musician who was able to play a crucial role in the Civil Rights Movement.