Heritage Spotlight: Behind The Beat

This presentation uses music to explore African American history, from the African beats to the jazz of the Harlem Renaissance to the popular music of the Civil Rights movement. The influences of traditional African music can be seen in the spirituals sung by African Americans while they were enslaved, elements of spirituals can be found in the blues, the blues led the way to jazz, and jazz spurred on R&B, rock and roll, hip hop, and other forms of modern music. Each musical style has ties to history, such as jazz and the Harlem Renaissance or Motown and the Civil Rights Movement. To understand history, you just have to look Behind the Beat!