African American singers contributed to American culture in the 1950s by collaborating with American band groups and gaining popularity amongst Americans for combining elements of big band music and blues / folk music. African America performers at the time helped increase integrated concerts as the musicians were big enough to turn down requests from segregated audiences. Many hotels and restaurants did not want people of color preforming or staying at their properties, some convinced the owners to change there mind, otherwise they’d move on somewhere else , < notably something frank sinatra would help his colleagues when being harassed, like was often the case with Sammy Davis Jr and others . Others like Louis Armstrong were big enough to become an ambassador for the US, while preforming in other countries. This is just a small part but I think Smithsonian has a website of the music from the time