ipl-logo

How Did The Harlem Renaissance Influence Social Change

1051 Words5 Pages

“Sometimes, I feel discriminated against, but it does not make me angry. It merely astonishes me. How can any deny themselves the pleasure of my company? It’s beyond me.” (Zora Neale Hurston). Zora Neale Hurston’s outward self-confidence reflects her ancestors push for social change in America. During slavery, an African American could never speak in this way. However, the Reconstruction resulted in the Great Migration, a time when African Americans moved North to find jobs, pursue what they love, and have freedom like evryone anyone else. The Harlem Renaissance occurred where African Americans such as Aaron Douglas, Zora Neale Hurston, and Claude Mckay influenced others to realize the importance of their culture which led to social change. …show more content…

The Harlem Renaissance was affected by slavery. “Strange Fruit” by Billie Holiday was published to explain how African American slaves were being hung. Holiday commented, “Southern trees bear strange fruit Blood on the leaves and blood at the root Black bodies swinging in the southern breeze Strange fruit hanging from the poplar trees” (Holiday). The strange fruit illustrated in the lyrics is known as the African American slaves. Many blacks were punished for their freedom of speech, and actions. During the Harlem Renaissance many blacks were harmed due the the explicit evidence. This let whites to realize that they were harming blacks which led to social change. “Go Harlem” by Chick Webb was an upbeat rhythm that helped other African Americans relate to the society. Webb talked about, “Up and down the avenue, You see faces old and new, With a smile that, welcomes you, 'Cause it's holiday in Harlem” (Webb). The tone of his words are positive and jovial. His display of music reflects the hard work from his ancestors who fought for social change. This is easily compared when considering slave songs and the

Show More
Related

  • The Harlem Renaissance And The New Negro Movement

    1259 Words  | 6 Pages

    The Harlem Renaissance, or the New Negro Movement as it was known at the time, was an intellectual, artistic, and social outpouring that celebrated black culture with themes of what it meant to be black in America. This movement lasted from the 1920s through the 1930s and included artists and intellectuals such as Langston Hughes, W.E.B. DuBois, and Duke Ellington. The Harlem Renaissance went beyond art, literature, and music, there were also political, social, and economic aspects as African-Americans questioned how the United States viewed them and how they viewed themselves. The New Negro and the rise of Harlem came about at a time when African-Americans began to urbanize and form a unique urban culture. These African-Americans defined themselves on their own terms, were proud to be both of African descent and American citizens, and were not afraid to push back against racism.

    Read More

  • Alain Leroy Locke And The Cultural Impact Of The Harlem Renaissance

    924 Words  | 4 Pages

    The cultural impact of the Harlem Renaissance was paramount in creating a collective shift of consciousness in America. This shift was the byproduct of the Great Migration forcing a environment for art, philosophy and religion to proliferate. Furthermore, these driving factors provided an abundance of exposure of African American culture to the rest of America particularly white America. Moreover, this environment was teeming with creativity producing great music, poetry and actors. In addition, the environment also was intellectually driven from philosophers, writers and bloomed progressive sects of religion.

    Read More

  • Black Community: The Harlem Renaissance

    132 Words  | 1 Pages

    The Harlem Renaissance was a period of great cultural growth in the black community. It is accepted that it started in 1918 and lasted throughout the 1930s. Though named the ‘Harlem’ Renaissance, it was a country-wide phenomenon of pride and development among black Americans, the likes of which had never existed in such grand scale. Among the varying political actions and movements for equality, a surge of new art appeared: musical, visual, and even theatre. With said surge, many of the most well-known black authors, poets, musicians and actors rose to prevalence including Langston Hughes, Countee Cullen, Louis Armstrong, and Eulalie Spence.

    Read More

  • African American Culture In Langston Hughes And We Wear The Mask

    802 Words  | 4 Pages

    The Harlem Renaissance was a period in American history, which occurred in the 1920s in Harlem, New York. The cultural movement was an opportunity for African Americans to celebrate their heritage through intellectual and artistic works. Langston Hughes, a famous poet, was a product of the Harlem Renaissance. One notable piece of literature by Hughes is “Dream Deferred”. However, the discussion of African American culture isn’t limited to the 1920s.

    Read More

  • Harlem Renaissance Research Paper

    1545 Words  | 7 Pages

    The shame wasn’t a cause for them to turn away from the love for their culture, it just made the proud of their deep black beautiful roots. The black artists of the Harlem Renaissance put a visual scene to the joy, pain, laughter, tears, and the ugly truth within this endearing culture. The literature of the Harlem Renaissance gave an intellectual opinion in American during in the turn of the 20th century. Writers of the Harlem Renaissance have had a profound impact on the American society today.

    Read More

  • Impact Of The Harlem Renaissance

    1118 Words  | 5 Pages

    From 1916 to 1970, about six million African Americans migrated north to places such as Chicago, New York, and Detroit, an era known as the Great Migration. The Great Migration was a chance for African Americans to experience new opportunities by discovering different types of writing, music, and art, especially in a well-known neighborhood in New York called Harlem. This era was known as the Harlem Renaissance, or the New Negro movement, a chance for African Americans to express their creativity. Authors and poets wrote poetry and prose to influence audiences and prove their worth. Visual artists demonstrated African American art and culture.

    Read More

  • Impact Of Harlem Renaissance On Society

    370 Words  | 2 Pages

    African Americans lived in a world of racial injustices and cultural restrictions until the Harlem Renaissance. The Harlem Renaissance was a time where there is an African American literary and art movement in the uptown Manhattan neighborhood. It is the turning point in African American culture, as well as their place in America. The African Americans were starting to become equal in American society. While the Renaissance built on earlier traditions of African American culture, it was greatly affected by the trends of the Europeans and white Americans.

    Read More

  • How Did Louis Armstrong Contribute To The Harlem Renaissance

    1263 Words  | 6 Pages

    His music got African Americans through such rough times. His voice gave them hope as well. He was the one that shaped the way that jazz is today. The Harlem Renaissance was an important movement that showed the talents of gifted African American musicians, poets, artist, and many

    Read More

  • How Did The Harlem Renaissance Promote African Americans

    81 Words  | 1 Pages

    Michael Jenkins The Harlem Renaissance was a wonderful time that promoted African Americans rights and position in society. This was a time where not only the colored community was raised on a prolific platform but the whole country was raised on hypothetical platform. It is important to us as American because we hold the belief in equality for everyone. We also believe in everyone getting their chance to do something in their lives which was not possible with prejudice and racism.

    Read More

  • Harlem Renaissance Dbq

    756 Words  | 4 Pages

    It was a period of expression in which they took pride in their culture, this sense of group identity formed a basis for later progress for blacks in the United States. The Harlem Renaissance took down previous racial stereotypes, as well as exemplified that African Americans had much to offer and contributed greatly to the creation of American culture. B) James Weldon Johnson’s excerpt argued that African Americans during the Harlem Renaissance were establishing themselves as active and important forces in society whom were also accomplishing great artistic achievements. Langston Hughes, a leading African American poet of the Harlem Renaissance, wrote literature about the pain and pride

    Read More

  • How Did The Harlem Renaissance

    388 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Harlem Renaissance was an important event for the life of an African American. During this time, other people decided to give the African Americans a chance because they saw what talent the African American race had with music, art and sports. By giving them a voice, they finally had a chance to get the rights they deserved. After the Civil war, African Americans were free by law, but they still had to fight for almost everything they wanted.     The African American group got so popular by their abilities in art, sports and music.

    Read More

  • Discrimination During The Harlem Renaissance

    1223 Words  | 5 Pages

    The representatives of Harlem Renaissance believed in democratic reforms, they thought that art and literature were means of changes and impact on white people. They believed in themselves and assisted to political organizations of that time – “National Association for the Advancement of Colored

    Read More

  • The Harlem Renaissance: Civil Rights Movement

    1516 Words  | 7 Pages

    The Harlem Renaissance was a movement that reflected the culture of African Americans in an artistic way during the 1920’s and the 30’s. Many African Americans who participated in this movement showed a different side of the “Negro Life,” and rejected the stereotypes that were forced on themselves. The Harlem Renaissance was full of artists, musicians, and writers who wrote about their thoughts, especially on discrimination towards blacks, such as Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, and Langston Hughes. The Harlem Renaissance was an influential and exciting movement, and influenced others to fight for what they want and believed in. The Harlem Renaissance was the start of the Civil Rights Movement.

    Read More

  • The Harlem Renaissance: A New Negro Movement

    570 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Harlem Renaissance was a phase of a larger New Negro Movement that had arisen in the early 20th century and in some ways ushered in the civil rights movement of the late 1940s and the early 1950s. The social foundations of this movement included the Great Migration of the African Americans, from rural to urban spaces, and the dramatically advancement of literacy. The creation of national organizations dedicated to helping African American civil rights, and “uplifting” the race by developing race pride. The Renaissance was a literary, artistic, and meaningful movement that sparked a new black cultural identity that lasted until the 1920s to the mid 1930s.

    Read More

  • The Influence Of Jazz Music In The 1920's

    1060 Words  | 5 Pages

    A large population concentrated in a small space caused a multitude of black literature, music, and art to be created. This intense movement of black intellect is known as The Harlem Renaissance. Deemed as the “New Negro Movement” at the time, it created a black cultural identity unlike anyone in America or Europe had ever seen before. It defined the black American, highlighting their struggles and talent. As jazz music was pumped out of this movement, white people stood by in awe.

    Read More

More about How Did The Harlem Renaissance Influence Social Change

Open Document