The Jazz Age generally elicits images of, “flappers,” old cars, elaborate parties, The Harlem Renaissance and – of course – the soothing sounds of early jazz music.  In actuality, however, this short era (lasting from about 1918 to 1929) was not just a fleeting time of lighthearted antics and musical innovations: the Jazz Age emerged as a platform for the free expression of ideas among American people.  In a country centered around the very idea of free expression, it would seem to be one of the most crucial time periods in the history of the United States.  Why, then, does this profound cultural significance of the Jazz Age seem to be lost amongst the multitude of facts, figures, and ideas presented in schools today?

     In looking at the fourth grade textbook of North Carolina history, Harcourt Horizons – North Carolina, the lack of information about this crucial era was astounding.  Though a “surface” version of the era was expected, the entire textbook included just two slight mentions of elements that are related to the Jazz Age.  In one paragraph intended to connect the World War I period with the Great Depression, a sentence was given to acknowledge the booming economy of the 1920s.  There was also one mention of “folk music” of the time in one chapter on the mountain region of North Carolina.  With no reference to a single Jazz musician or artist, and in reality no acknowledgment of the time period at all, a student would leave this textbook with absolutely no knowledge that the Jazz Age even existed, let alone an idea of how it impacted the lives of people living in North Carolina during this time.

     Another logical place where a student would research information is the school’s library.  Unfortunately, however, the elementary school library that was searched did not offer much more than did the textbook in terms of information on the Jazz Age.  A few books were found that detailed the technical aspects of jazz instruments, and there were surprisingly several on the rhythm of jazz music as well.  The library also had a small number of biographies on some major jazz musicians: Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, and other extremely well-known contributors.  In the library, it seems, some information about the Jazz Age is available – if one knows what and whom to look for.  However, if a child entered the library looking to research the general topic of “The Jazz Age” and had no previous knowledge of the era, there would not be much to find.

     Two subject-focused interviews with first graders only further solidified this supposed lack of knowledge about the Jazz Age.  While one girl could identify a few jazz instruments because her grandfather plays in a Jazz band, the other student claimed to have never heard of jazz music or even just the word “jazz.”  When questioned about the expression of beliefs, which functions essentially as a foundational idea in studying the Jazz Age, both students said that writing was the best way to communicate an idea.  Neither thought that ideas could be well-expressed through art or music.

     Unfortunately, it is very clear that students are not solely lacking accurate knowledge about the Jazz Age, but are actually lacking any knowledge of the era. This must be changed, it is our responsibility to give our students a true history, not just the history that the textbooks want them to know.  The artistic and musical strides of the Jazz Age forever changed the way Americans – of all races and social classes - communicated beliefs, and it is crucial that students have access to an accurate look into this important time period.  The Jazz Age is a time period that is often left out of curriculum because it can get ‘messy’.  Textbooks generally like clean white history.  The Jazz Age is not so, it is not limited to one race or one gender.  It is important for students to understand that the Jazz Age played a role in forming the world that they live in today.  Different people in different places experienced the Jazz Age in different ways.