The Harlem Renaissance

Prior to the 1920s, race relations in the United States were still to be considered bad as segregation and discrimination continued to flourish in the workplace as well as in everyday aspects of life. It wasn’t until Woodrow Wilson came into office that issues like segregation and discrimination were finally discussed in the government. After Wilson’s presidency, the rise of the 1920s would bring a whole new discussion of race relations to the table as the Harlem Renaissance came to be known as a cultural, social, and artistic movement that empowered the black community in New York City. In the article The Whites Invade Harlem by Levi C. Hubert, Hubert uses his own personal experiences and observations of Harlem in order to convey the idea that race relations in the U.S during

Gilbert Osofsky’s Harlem: The Making of a Ghetto paints a grim picture of inevitability for the once-exclusive neighborhood of Harlem, New York. Ososfky’s timeframe is set in 1890-1930 and his study is split up into three parts. His analysis is convincing in explaining the social and economic reasons why Harlem became the slum that it is widely infamous for today, but he fails to highlight many of the positive aspects of the enduring neighborhood, and the lack of political analysis in the book is troubling.

“The best of humanity's recorded history is a creative balance between horrors endured and victories achieved, and so it was during the Harlem Renaissance.” states Aberjhani this is a quote from the Harlem Renaissance . The Harlem Renaissance was an artistic movement that had took place in the 1920s. Art in the Harlem Renaissance lead to many social changes; some of which happened to be the reason that brought many people together. However, at the same time, it split people apart because of the many controversies it had created, and how Langston Hughes was not considered a good author until now.

The Harlem Renaissance, also known as “The Negro Movement” was the rise of African American cultures, it gave African Americans the chance to express themselves through literature, art, and music, it was a leading factor in The Great Migration, but the Great Depression of the 1930s brought this celebration of black voices and black ways to an end. The Harlem renaissance came about during the 1920s and took place in Harlem, the center of New York. American writer, philosopher, and educator, Alain Locke, described this time as a “spiritual coming of age”. Although the Harlem Renaissance was a good time for the African American community, a few whites did not see it that way, which caused great controversy with white venues and audiences.

By the 1920’s the amount of African Americans in New York City had more than doubled. Meanwhile the roadways and subway system had just begun to reach Harlem, where some of the most influential Blacks had situated themselves. Soon after, Harlem became known as “The Black Mecca” and also as “The Capital of Black America”.

The Harlem Renaissance was the first period in the history of the United States in which a group of black poets, authors, and essayist seized the opportunity to express themselves. The Great Migration was the movement of six million African Americans from the rural South to the cities of the North during 1916 to 1970. Driven from their homes by unsatisfactory economic opportunities and harsh segregationist laws, many African Americans headed north in search for a better future. Due to the aftermath of World War One , it brought many African Americans into the thriving New York City. Moreover, during the early 1920s the African Americans developed their own culture by the creation of art, music, literature, including the battle in fighting for their civil rights and the effect of the Great Depression.

The Harlem Renaissance represents the rebirth and flowering of African-American culture. Although the Harlem Renaissance was concentrated in the Harlem district of New York City, its legacy reverberated throughout the United States and even abroad, to regions with large numbers of former slaves or blacks needing to construct ethnic identities amid a dominant white culture. The primary means of cultural expression during the Harlem Renaissance were literature and poetry, although visual art, drama, and music also played a role in the development of the new, urban African-American identity. Urbanization and population migration prompted large numbers of blacks to move away from the Jim Crow south, where slavery had only transformed into institutionalized racism and political disenfranchisement. The urban enclave of Harlem enabled blacks from different parts of the south to coalescence, share experiences, and most importantly, share ideas, visions, and dreams. Therefore, the Harlem Renaissance had a huge impact in framing African-American politics, social life, and public institutions.

The Harlem Renaissance is a social, cultural, and artistic eruption that happened in Harlem, New York. The outburst took place in 1925 and included the new African-American cultural expression, and it was considered the birth of African –American Arts. The movement also involved Caribbean and African writers who resided in Paris. The emergence of Harlem Renaissance was due to the fight by African Americans who wanted to be given a chance for a participation in civic matters, cultural and economic self-determination, and political equity between the whites and the blacks. This happened after the civil war was over and reconstruction of the nation was taking place. The freed and emancipated blacks begun to push for this reforms. The year 1875 blacks a total of sixteen in number were elected to the Congress and moved on giving numerous speeches. The regain of power by the white supremacist was a major challenge to the blacks in America. This was characterized with denying Africans their political and civil rights, brutalizing of black convicts, exposure to unpaid labor, and conducting lynch mobs and vigilante acts to black communities. This event led the staging of the first Harlem Renaissance with theater plays like “three plays for a negro” in 1917, been showcased to express the black suffering in the region (Wikipedia, 2016). This was followed by a series of activities to show how the blacks were stereotyped in America with Hubert Harrison writing the article “the father of Harlem radicalism” in the year 1917. This was the beginning of the Harlem Renaissance. The Harlem Renaissance is still important in our community up to the date because it gave the contribution towards the music industry. The period led to the development of the Harlem stride style in playing piano that up to the date provides a benchmark in the piano art. The Renaissance period provided fashion clothing for which blacks can be identified with the blacks like wearing of the leather jackets (White, Shane and Graham 1998). The period helped to the rise of African-American music, the culture which up to date is one big industry contributing towards the American economy and the black society.

For many years, African Americans lived as slaves with no rights and no freedoms to develop their talents. Thus, African Americans desired a change. They were in search of a place that provided them possibility and power. Therefore, during the period of 1910-1930, many African Americans embarked on the community of Harlem in New York City. Harlem had become an elegant African American community of great strength and sophistication. So, newcomers considered Harlem the ideal place to prosper. Many individuals came here with a goal to receive equal rights. These equal rights would provide African Americans with opportunities to expand their culture in areas including literature, the arts, theater, and music. Since Harlem was rapidly developing

Taking place from the 1920’s to the 1940’s, a well-known period of time where black people’s ideas, morals, and customs were adapted and developed was known as the Harlem Renaissance. The main focus of the era for the African Americans was to establish some sort of identity and self-expression through literary, musical, theatrical, and visual arts. The story behind this began in 1890 when African American slaves migrated from the rural South to the urban North as they thrashed their way to freedom. Most of them migrated to New York, particularly in the district of Harlem (Bolarinwa). Harlem was characterized as “not merely the largest Negro community in the world, but the first concentration in history of so many diverse elements of Negro

Reading about Harlem opened my eyes to the sad reality that humans were not only cruel to me, they were cruel their their own kind. They judge each other based on looks. Humans are selfish and judgmental. I don’t understand why I ever strived to be like them. The poem titled “Harlem” made me sad and determined at the same time. All the African American’s wanted was to be equal and fulfill their dreams. They created the opportunity to fulfill their dreams in Harlem. Langston Hughes wrote, “What happens to a dream deferred? / Does it dry up/ like a raisin in the sun” (Hughes). I assume the only possible answer to this question would be, no. This showed me how persistent humanity can be when a group of people want something so bad. I have given up and hidden in the shadows by myself for to long. I might not have anyone else with me but I know I want to fit in somewhere. If they stayed strong through there struggles so can I. Reading this poem gives me faith that I will find a place I can call home and not be

The Great Migrations was the movement or relocation of over 6 million blacks from Southern rural regions to Northern urban areas. Looking to leave behind the racial tension of the south, and with hopes of new job opportunities in the north, many blacks moved in to urban cities such as Chicago, Detroit, and Harlem. Out of these northern metropolises, the most popular was Harlem; “here in Manhattan (Harlem) is not merely the largest Negro community in the world, but the first concentration in history of so many diverse element of Negro life”(1050). Harlem became the mecca of black people, and between the years of 1920 and the late 1930s it was known as the Harlem Renaissance. The Harlem Renaissance, brought artiest, poets, writers,

Over the course of time, many different movements have occurred. The most influential types have ranged from revolutionary movements to feminism. These movements have changed the course of society and kept a different outlook on new ideas. A very important idea that needed to be stressed was the freedom of African Americans. For so long they were slaves and treated extremely poorly. Eventually, they became free people. However, they were still not viewed as equal. It took many years to move even one step in the right direction. A specific movement did help the African America appear independent and equal. One of the most influential movements and still occurring to this day is the Harlem Renaissance. The Harlem Renaissance is the cultural movement of the 1920’s. The movement essentially kindled a new black cultural identity through art, literature and intellect.

Harlem is deeply associated with the vibrant life of African Americans for more than a century. It is black mecca and focal point advancing black America. When describing Harlem one must recognize its poetry of life, culture and. Harlem is the place where musician and bootleggers lived together, poet and pickpocket ate in the same dining room and preachers, physician all were aristocrats. Looking from a different perspective, Harlem is the paradigm of a deteriorated inner city neighborhood. From end of the civil war to World War I it has experienced a massive exodus of African Americans thus transforming the demographics to an all African Community. The quality of life began to degrade as due to racism, neglect and city’s role in shaping the housing stocks. In an effort to solve the everlasting housing problems of Harlem, the city has left this vibrant on the hands of gentrifies, thus destroying the culture and identity of the black capital.

The word “Harlem” conjures up a variety of images. To some the neighborhood is one of New York’s most distressed slums. While others recall the heyday of the Harlem Renaissance. Cradle of black writers, poets, and jazz musicians. But few realize the unique history of this famous black community. Harlem, ironically, began as an upper-class white residential area. In the late 1800s Harlem was open country. Featuring ponds, woods, and pastures. South of Central Park, Manhattan growing. Additional housing was needed. Because of the new streetcar lines. The land north of Central Park was within easy commuting distance to Manhattan’s offices, stores, and business. Real estate developers seeing great opportunity. Constructed blocks of expensive townhouses.