A certain person ("he") has become the role model of society and greatly contributes tho the well being of the people. But the character speaking ("I") is baffled and and in awe on why he is receiving such blame. The character is trying to get society to question their thoughts and to reconsider their beliefs.
This means that whoever is saying this feels he was misunderstood. Even though another person has received great respect, the narrator ponders why he is worse off than that person. He want those who judged him to reconsider their judgement.
Literature, painting, fiction, poetry, and theater made the Harlem Renaissance interesting. But music became the main highlight during that period in the history. Jazz was discovered as a new style of piano playing. People who heard this new sound considered it as a refreshing take on an old sound. Jazz started to lure white music fans into going to African American clubs where only African Americans commonly go. It became the common interest of the whites with other music fans. They didn't anymore mind whether the featured pianist was an African American of white. As long as the pianist is good in playing the instrument, everyone is listening even the whites.
