Born in Rochester, New York in 1907, the singer and bandleader had grown to become a jazz legend who was popular at Harlem’s famous Cotton Club.Īfter the huge success of his 1931 “Minnie the Moocher” song, Calloway became one of the most popular entertainers of the 1930s and 40s and even appeared on stage and films. Pic credit: Ĭalloway, before introducing his dictionary, would speak jive with his band, and even included the language into his songs. Jive, a language rooted in slavery, was a way for African Americans to communicate privately even though the colourful language eventually “became about understanding and belonging.” Cab Calloway performing. This gave rise to jazz and of course, the use of slang language like jive which became popular among jazz musicians like Calloway. This affected Chicago, Detroit and New York’s Harlem, which saw more black immigrants than any other city.Įventually, Harlem became an influential centre of African American literary works, including its culture and music. This would result in the Great Migration of the black community from rural to urban cities. Many African-Americans in the South had then seen the need for labour in the North as an opportunity to migrate and find work where life seemed more advanced, liberal and promising. Since 1902, the town has been a settlement of African Americans. Harlem, popularly known as the Black Cultural Mecca, is famous for its great jazz clubs, African-American arts, culture, and heritage. The birth of the African-American popular culture as a global phenomenon dates back to the 20th century in Harlem, New York. Pic credit: Open CultureĮssentially, the dictionary helped introduce African American slang to white America while documenting a moment in Harlem’s history. The hugely successful book would appeal to both black and white audiences as it introduced the African-American jive talk and Harlem-style jazz to people who even lived far away from New York, according to History. His slender pamphlet dictionary would help promote equality in a society where being black was not an advantage.
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