African Americans During The Harlem Renaissance

During the 1920’s while segregation existed between blacks and whites, The Harlem Renaissance also known as the New Negro Movement developed in Harlem New York City. The Harlem Renaissance allowed was very benficial to African Americans because it allowed them to express themeselves. ‘Harlem gave African American people a new sense of their own beauty and power” (Haskins,2). During the harlem Renassance African AMericans expressed themselves through different types of art such as music, poetry, dance,and paintings.

In the first place, the Harlem Renaissance was a point in each African American artist, musicians, and writers to really show of their talents and instill a new sense of writing styles and music. W.E.B Dubois was of the renaissances famous writers. Writers like Zora Neal Hurston, and James Weldon also flourished with their innovative writing styles (“The Harlem Renaissance”). Harlem influenced generations of black writers, but it was largely ignored by the literary establishment (“The Harlem Renaissance). During this time writers, musicians, and artist were known for their contributions made to society.

Lexxie Williams HUM2020- Monday The Harlem Renaissance: Art, Music, Literature influence in the 20th Century The Harlem Renaissance was an influential and pivotal period in African American history in the 20th Century. The Harlem Renaissance opened the doors to new and greater opportunities for African Americans.

All the composers, artists, musicians, and poets introduced new ideas in ways of expressing their pride in their race and culture. The Harlem Renaissance was the general notion where it was the time for African Americans to take their place the society and contribute their way of culture. Art in the time of the Harlem Renaissance often presented usage of bold colors displayed in an expressionist manner. Work from most artists would portray African Americans dancing, dining playing music, or engaging in what seems to be amusing festivities.

The Harlem Renaissance,was an explosion of African American culture,especially in the creative arts, and the most influential movement in African American literary history. Making use of the literary, musical, theatrical, and visual arts, contributors to this movement sought to revive the attributes of the “African American” from the stereotypes that the white had labeled them. They also sought to let loose of conservative moral values and bourgeois shame about aspects of their lives that the white majority would have seen as an reinforcement of racist beliefs. The contributors to this movement did not particularly belong to a major school of thought. They came from all over the country to give rise to this movement.

The Harlem Renaissance: Not Just the Black Jazz Age New York City, famously known as the city of dreams even before the Alicia Keys song. For the black communities of the 20’s, they found refuge in the back streets of Harlem, New York from the harsh reality of segregated America. Here, famous artists, musicians, and authors started a black pride culture phenomenon called today the Harlem Renaissance. The Harlem Renaissance was a cultural movement of racial pride influenced by history, literature, and the culture of the era.

Their Eyes were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston, begins by showing what is occurring in the present of the main character’s life. Janie, the main character of this story, is returning to Eatonville, Florida the town she once called home. Upon her return the townspeople gossip about her and make speculations about where she has been. They also wonder what happened to Tea Cake, the young man with whom she ran off. Of all the townspeople, only one person stood up for Janie and did not give in to the gossip.

The Harlem Renaissance was a beneficial time in history for African Americans. Bringing blacks together in a new movement that had not been present in America yet. This was a movement in which blacks emphasized themselves by taking on their racial identity. It was a time period in which the black community helped each other to be able to express themselves as who they truly are, creating a true African American visual creativity, in this example it is that of poetry. This time period in history inspired many writers such as these two that will be touched upon in this paper, which are Claude McKay and Langston Hughes.

Langston Hughes' "When the Negro Was in Vogue" brings light to the issue of racial inequality and cultural appropriation. These topics remain relevant in our modern society, and are present in current cultural trends. Racial inequality is a problem that has always been around it seems; white is portrayed as "good" and black (and every other color for that matter) is portrayed as "bad." The title "When the Negro Was in Vogue" makes the point that during the time of the Harlem Renaissance, it was actually "good" to be black; that was because white people liked what black people were accomplishing and creating at the time. This is something that continues to be an issue, even today.

The Oxford Dictionary defines it as “a revival of art and literature under the influence of classical models throughout the period.” The Harlem Renaissance, which involved the migration of African Americans, was a period of time where African Americans moved up north and had the opportunity to finally express themselves through their cultural arts. These arts were not only broadcasted as entertainment, but as well as a civil rights movement. With African Americans still fighting for their recognition and rights in America, they wanted to show what they were really capable of. This lead to the Renaissance being a phenomenal and inspiring cultural awakening for the African Americans which lead to social change.