We insist! Freedom now: Max Roach, o jazz e o design gráfico na luta por direitos civis

Abstract

The following research, developed during the years of 2013 and 2014, as the Final Year Research Project for the Bachelor in Design, at the Federal Technological University – Paraná (UTFPR), presents an analysis of the cover of Max Roach’s We Insist! Freedom Now Suite. This free jazz álbum, released in1960 on Candid Records, has the Civil Rights Movement as main theme. The analysis took in consideration graphical aspects and semiotics, as well as the historical context of the United States of America during the Fifties and the Sixties, when the Civil Rights Movement, the Cold War (1945-1989), Vietnam War (1955-1975), Korean War (1950-1953), John F. Kennedy’s mandate and the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. Discusses the role of design in society, demonstrating, through the studied example, how strong it can be as a tool for claiming rights, since ir has more freedom to discuss subjects that are commonly ignored or censored by traditional media, such as newspapers, radio and television. It also shows how visual arts, music and design are influenced by society and historical events, as well as how they can influence the public and generate discussion, reflection and social changes, both political and cultural. It also stresses the relation between free jazz and the Civil Rights Movement, through musicians like Max Roach, who openly declared the political connotations within their music. Roach, whose album is the main focus of this research, was also an activist for african-american rights during the Fifties and the Sixties. To achieve these goals, a bibliographical revision was conducted, with the intent of familiarizing the reader with United States history and the music, art and design scenes during the period studied in this research. The analysis was also based in design and semiotics concepts, to allow a better comprehension of the album cover technically and subjectively, identifying references to the manifestations and to the overall context of the Civil Rights Movement.