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Essay / Issues of Race and Diversity in Billie Holiday's Music
Billie Holiday is considered one of the best African-American jazz singers of all time. She was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania as Eleanora Fagan. She started singing at a very young age, but her career only began after she began working in various bands and orchestras. African Americans were freed from the terrible conditions of slavery through the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments. However, they still face the problem of discrimination, racism, inequality and mistreatment. During the era of the Harlem Renaissance – one of the most influential movements in African American history where the culture of African Americans spread and developed – Holiday and many others used their platforms to address some issues of inequality in America. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay African Americans experienced a lot of racism during this time, so it was difficult for Holiday to live in society, especially since she was a woman. Jim Crow laws were one of the primary ways that African Americans were mistreated. These laws enforced racial segregation in everyday settings such as schools, hospitals, hotels, theaters, water fountains, theaters, and buses. For example, if an African American took a bus, he would have to sit in the back while white people would sit in the front. If anyone were to disobey these regulations, they would most likely be arrested because they were still not considered human. Segregation allowed racism to fester, and with the rise of racism, black people were burned, bombed, and given low-paying jobs. As time went on, many new job opportunities became available to African Americans, but the only drawback was that working conditions were disorderly and dangerous. However, opportunities for African Americans only applied to African American men. Women had a harder time finding work and were seen as only having these goals: staying at home, cleaning, and caring for children. This discrimination was tiring for African-Americans. The realization is that through music, Billie Holiday was able to express her feelings and talk about what was happening at that time in order to bring more awareness to these issues. The first point to consider is the recording of “Strange Fruit” by Billie Holiday. This not only boosted his career but also made the problem of racism more apparent in society. This song is an anti-racist song about the lynching of a black man. It was originally a poem written by Abel Meeropol, denouncing the racism plaguing America. Holiday did her own version of the song and it caused a lot of controversy, making it very popular. He talks about how whites and blacks should compete and not care about race. Holiday played a vital role in jazz by being one of the primary leaders in demonstrating the power and emotion of music, using her voice to convey a powerful, raw feel in everything she sang . Additionally, although Holiday was successful, her career took a slight turn when she began using drugs. Later in life, she became addicted to heroin and was refused a cabaret card, making it difficult for her to perform anywhere. A cabernet card is a pass one has to serve alcohol or perform in venues where alcohol is served. However, as she was involved in.