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Art During The Harlem Renaissance

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Art is the sole venue for human expression. It has been known to invoke emotions and appeal to one’s numerous senses. Even throughout times of despair, the human race has been known to seek differing forms of expression as a cope mechanism or simply to project their voices and opinions to the world. In fact, the American Journal of Public Health declared that, “There is evidence that engagement with artistic activities, either as an observer of the creative efforts of others or as an initiator of one's own creative efforts, can enhance one's moods, emotions, and other psychological states as well as have a salient impact on important physiological parameters.” Such creative expression was sought after by African Americans who emigrated to the United States by means of slavery. In order to preserve their culture and lose their customs, slave retained their …show more content…

As African culture increasingly diminished, African American conservatives contested such “whitening” of Black culture and called for the revival of their cultural roots (Reviewing the Harlem Renaissance Website). Such contestment of Black “whitening” became advanced during the early twentieth century, in particular during the 1920s during which a movement known as the Harlem Renaissance rose to prominence. The leaders of the movement consisted of middle class African Americans who not only promoted the revival of Black culture, but defined a fresh new culture in which they combined traditional African practices with common American practices. American author and poet, Langston Hughes was among the prominent figures of the movement and a strong advocate of resurgence and rejuvenation of his culture. Langston Hughes awakened American society to the unjustified hostility directed towards African Americans through his pieces of literature, thus providing African American communities with a sense of unity and

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