Charles Mingus and Civil Rights
Charles Mingus was one of the most influential and groundbreaking jazz musicians and composers of the 1950s and 1960s. The virtuoso bassist gained fame in the 1940s and 1950s working with such jazz greats as Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker, Art Tatum, and many others. His compositions pushed harmonic barriers, combining Western-European classical styles with African-American roots music. While examining his career is valuable from musical standpoint, his career also provides a powerful view of the attitudes of African-American jazz musicians (and Black America as a whole) towards the racial inequalities in America during that time. In addition to being a successful musician, Mingus was a very outspoken social commentator. Through his music, Mingus expressed the frustrations of African-Americans and supported Black Nationalism.
Racial prejudice began to affect Mingus at a very young age. Mingus grew up in the racially diverse Watts area of Los Angeles. His father was half-black, half white and his birth mother was half-black and half-Chinese. Mingus had very light colored skin, which made him a target for prejudice from the darker African-Americans, the Latinos, and the whites. Los Angeles during the 1920s and 1930s experienced a sort of segregation that was not too unlike the situation in the Deep South. Mingus’s father denounced his own Black identity and attempted to run his family in a “respectable” manner that conformed to white standards.
One of the ways his father attempted to keep his family “respectable” was to require that his children study classical music. Mingus played trombone briefly and then moved on to the cello. The young Mingus proved to be very talented and eventually joined the Los Angeles Jr. Philharmonic. He aspired to play for the Los Angeles Philharmonic and to become a classical composer. Unfortunately, the music industry was not immune to the racial inequalities of the 1930s. It was nearly impossible for an
Racial prejudice began to affect Mingus at a very young age. Mingus grew up in the racially diverse Watts area of Los Angeles. His father was half-black, half white and his birth mother was half-black and half-Chinese. Mingus had very light colored skin, which made him a target for prejudice from the darker African-Americans, the Latinos, and the whites. Los Angeles during the 1920s and 1930s experienced a sort of segregation that was not too unlike the situation in the Deep South. Mingus’s father denounced his own Black identity and attempted to run his family in a “respectable” manner that conformed to white standards.
One of the ways his father attempted to keep his family “respectable” was to require that his children study classical music. Mingus played trombone briefly and then moved on to the cello. The young Mingus proved to be very talented and eventually joined the Los Angeles Jr. Philharmonic. He aspired to play for the Los Angeles Philharmonic and to become a classical composer. Unfortunately, the music industry was not immune to the racial inequalities of the 1930s. It was nearly impossible for an
Cited: Mingus, C. (Composer). (1999). "Fables of Faubus". [C. Mingus, Performer] On Mingus Ah Um. Sony Records. Mingus, C. (Composer). (1992). Eclipse. [C. M. Octet, Performer] On Debut Rarities Vol. 1. Concord Records. Santoro, G. (200). Myself When I am Real: The Life and Music of Charles Mingus. New York: Oxford University Press.