Racial Roots of Rock and Roll
Or. How Rock and Roll almost saved the world.
Rock and roll was born in the era of segregation. Its roots go much deeper. Traces of rock and roll can be found in the slaves who brought their rhythms from Africa, and from white pilgrims with primitive stringed instruments that became the guitar.
But the actual birth of rock and roll was in the early 50s in a time of racial strife. Legally enforced segregation was being challenged and the Supreme Court was ruling against it often. There were protests happening. In its infancy, for a brief time, racial issues disappeared when there was music that blurred the lines beyond recognition.
Whether we took advantage of the opportunity can be debated, but the birth of rock and roll is an example of how racial barriers can be overcome.
Some people say rock and roll was just (black) rhythm and blues cleaned up for a white audience. There is some truth to that idea, but like most things, the reality is much more complex.
The heart of rock and roll is R&B, but there were a lot of other influences as well. Jazz, country, gospel, bluegrass, and other genre’s also contributed to the creation of rock and…
