ers with little chance for advancement in the north.African Americans in the 1900’s were plagued with racism.Known as the “Empress of the Blues.” Bessie Smith was the female muscialrevoluntionary singer of the early twentith century. Smith was touring professinally with a troupeby the age of nineteen and by the time she was twenty-nine sold over 780,000 copies of her firstrecording “Downhearted Blues.” Smith was a blues singer popular with both black and whiteaudiences. For African Americans though, Smith was more thatn just a popular entertainer. ToAfrican Americans, Smith was a strong, independant African American woman with tremendoustalent and determination. Despite Smith’s popularity with withe audiences, she wasnoncompromising. Smith’s singing style was direct, confrontational, truthful, and passionate. An example of the aspects of Smith’s music can be found in her lyrics to “Poor Man’s Blues.”which she worote.Mister rich man, rich man, open your heart and mind.Mister rich man, rich man open up your heart and mind.Give the poor man a chance, help stop these hard, hard timesWhen you’re living in your mansion, you don’t know what hard time mean.Poor working man’s wife is starving, your wife is living like a queen.Now the war is over, poor man must live the same as you.If it wasn’t for the poor man, mister rich man, what would you do.In the song “Poor Man’s Blues, “ Smith points out that society often claims that the poor aredependent upon the wealthy for financial security. However Smith turns the table revealing thatthe rich are equally dependent upon the poor for their financial security. The rich are dependentupon the poor to work their low paying factory jobs, clean thier houses, and to chauffer theircars. Smith used her music as a vehicle to express her concerns for a society plagued by racism.Along with Bessie Smit...
