Harlem Renaissance

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Shenoah Norem04-27-09Mr. Neuburger English III HonorsResearch Paper:The Harlem Renaissance“My hands! My dark hands! Break through the wall!”-Langston Hughes Not many people have heard of the Harlem Renaissance, a time in the early1900’s when black literature, music, and poetry began to grow into something great. ThisRenaissance is the first time African Americans could express themselves freely; creativeexpression was one of the few possibilities available to blacks during the twentiethcentury. African American freedom to expression grew significantly in a thirty year time period, and they became recognized not only by their fellow black community, but bywhites who had also brushed them aside. The words and works of art left behind in thistime period are some of the most influential in black culture. These pieces of worksopened doors for many inspiring black writers and artist for decades to come. In order toappreciate the Harlem Renaissance one must understand the details of this renaissance,the ideas that came forth, and the long lasting effects of the writings and art of this era.In an article written by Caroline Jackson, she explains how the HarlemRenaissance began with what is known as the “Great Migration.” (par 7) During the early1900’s African American began moving from the southern part of the United States to thenorthern, in hope for more personal freedom, jobs, and less discrimination. According to

Encarta, as more educated African Americans moved into Harlem, the city developed intothe cultural center of black America. Also important was the new political agenda fromAfrican Americans that promoted racial equality. Furthermore, Encarta describes howthree actions from 1924 to 1926 really began the Harlem Renaissance. First in late March1924 a man named Charles Johnson of the National Urban League held a dinner toopenly distinguish the young black writers to New York’s white literary community, asresult to this The Survey Graphic offered a Harlem issue of their magazine in March of the next year. It featured work from black writers and happened to be edited by a black philosopher. The second main event that helped launch the Renaissance is the publication by a white writer named Carl Van Vechten- Nigger Heaven

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This book offered a look intothe ups and downs of Harlem life, although the opinion of the book greatly varied inAfrican Americans, it drew a great number of refined, multicolored New Yorkers toexperience Harlem’s nightlife and also help promote African Americans literature andmusic. Finally in 1926, the last of the three main actions took place, a group of young black writers got together and made Fire!!

This publication really pushed the Renaissanceforward; it is know as the first literary magazine for blacks by blacks. (par 2, 5) No particular style or political ideas define the Harlem Renaissance; the thing that brought them all together was the struggles their ancestors went through and thededication to artistic expression of these things. (par 6) Aaron Douglas even went as far as saying, “Harlem was not so much a place as a state of mind, the cultural metaphor for Black America itself.” (par 6) African Americans of this time shared the same feelings, asense of pride to their tribulations, and the need to be accepted equally socially and politically. Caroline Jackson explains how the popularity and the long lasting effects of

the Renaissance are due to the fact that there was such a variety of expression during thistime period and people saw this movement as something that spoke for the “common” black person. (par 9) More than sixteen black writers published over fifty books of fictionand poetry, and many other artists paved the way in black painting, music, and theater.(Encarta, par 6)All aspects of the Renaissance appealed to a large crowd of people, literaturestood out to African American middle-class, and to the white book buying public.According to Encarta, not all people felt as if the writings of the time could be viewed as positive, it caused some debate that black writers contributed to the negative stereotypes.(par 7) The art of the time had been set up in many galleries and sold to upper-middleclass whites. Levity.com tells of A’lelia Walker, a great African American party giver of the time, who dedicated a floor of her house in Harlem to be covered by the art and poetry of black artist. Although the attempt to showcase the works did not work all thatsuccessfully, her “Dark Tower” proved very unique. (par 2) Encarta states that musiciansof this time also had a big audience; cabarets fascinated not only Harlem’s community, but white New Yorkers who wanted to experience Harlem night life. Music by AfricanAmerican composers moved into black communities from the Midwest to the South, andup North. (par 3,10)The down fall of the Harlem Renaissance happened slowly. Encarta explains theGreat Depression had one of the biggest, if not the biggest impact on this decline. It ledto rising economic pressure on all sections of life. Also during the start of the GreatDepression organizations promoting black acceptance shifted their main focus toeconomic and social issues of the 1930’s. (par 10) The Harlem Renaissance dwindled

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