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Oppression Of African Americans During The Harlem Renaissance

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Years before we started our constitution with “we the people…;” years before we distinguished society to be separated into colors -- black, white or somewhere in between; years before we pledged together to be “...one nation under god, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all…,” we lived under the British rule. However, with the sacrifices of many men who made history come to life, we gained our freedom. Soon our America turned into my America -- my as in the “white” America. The cultural movement known as the Harlem Renaissance approached later on in the early twentieth century, where vibrancies of new perceptions emerged in the minds of many African Americans. However, this white America proved to be an obstacle, taking away the freedom and excitement that the African Americans felt after years of oppression. The …show more content…

This idea of a white America surely put an emphasis on this notion of living up to the white standards that took blacks away from their own culture and tradition as they tried to assimilate to the American ways. This idea of assimilation sent an indirect message to other minorities that they may never fit the white standards and that no matter how much they tried, they wouldn't be considered American if they didn't have white skin. The Harlem Renaissance provided a platform for many African Americans to communicate their perspective of white oppression through various forms of art. In these works of art, they portray themselves to be “this debt [they] pay to human guile,” alluding to the false face that hid behind their masks (Source H). Our institutions solely focused on furthering the education of fellow whites, ignoring the thirst for education of these hidden faces. This lack of education prevents the African Americans

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