Literature In The Harlem Renaissance

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“It [the Harlem Renaissance] was a time of black individualism, a time marked by a vast array of characters whose uniqueness challenged the traditional inability of white Americans to differentiate between blacks” (Price, ). This quote by Price describes a pivotal time in American history where African Americans were able to show their true selves. America has a long history of oppressing African Americans. It began when slave ships carried Africans to America before the founding of the country. After the Civil War slaves were freed, but were restricted by the way society treated them. In the early 1900s, black Americans moved from the south to Harlem, New York seeking jobs and freedoms. This Great Migration led to the Harlem Renaissance, …show more content…

Specifically, it gave a voice to mixed race individuals which did not happen before the Renaissance. An example of this is in Jean Toomer’s Becky, when a white woman has two black sons, one is light skinned and one is dark skinned. In the story Toomer describes the sons saying, “They’d beat and cut a man who meant nothing at all in mentioning that they lived along the road. White or colored? No one knew, and least of all themselves” (Toomer, 1939). In this statement Toomer brings to light issues related to mixed race individuals. He shows that by treating people as outcasts they will feel hurt and develop possible mental issues. By doing this he gave the African American perspective, encouraging white people to feel sympathetic. This led to more common ground between African Americans and whites. In the Harlem Renaissance African American artists used their work as self-expression. An example of this was James Van Der Zee, a photographer. He took pictures of rich African Americans during the Harlem Renaissance. This shows that people in the Harlem Renaissance showed off their wealth and were flashy. In turn, this proved that they could have as much money as white people, making them equal. This helped spark social change leading to integration of whites and

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