Essay on The Harlem Renaissance - 1187 Words

The Harlem Renaissance The Harlem Renaissance refers to a prolific period of unique works of African-American expression from about the end of World War I to the beginning of the Great Depression. Although it is most commonly associated with the literary works produced during those years, the Harlem Renaissance was much more than a literary movement; similarly, it was not simply a reaction against and criticism of racism. The Harlem Renaissance inspired, cultivated, and, most importantly, legitimated the very idea of an African-American cultural consciousness. Concerned with a wide range of issues and possessing different interpretations and solutions of these issues affecting the Black population, the writers, artists, performers and†¦show more content†¦These migrations created the first urban Black communities in the North, which flourished in Chicago, New York, Detroit, and Cleveland.[ii] In New York, in particular, a â€Å"sizeable chunk of real estate in the heart of Manhattan† had been available, and, as it came to be occupied by Blacks, had become the site of â€Å"a series of literary discussions in the lower Manhattan (Greenwich Village) and upper Manhattan (Harlem) sections.† These discussions were largely influenced by an increased availability of African-American literature, one of the most important being the publication of The New Negro, an anthology of works compiled by Alain Leroy Locke. Locke compared the northern migration of Blacks to â€Å"something like a spiritual emancipation,† and the anthology exposed people to the works of Langston Hughes, Claude McKay, Zora Neale Hurston, among many others. These discussions became known as the New Negro Movement, and as they fueled other social activity, specifically in a spirit of ‘progressivism’ that believed in â€Å"art and literature as agents of social change,† th e Harlem Renaissance.[2] Although the works were about race and/or concerned about race, it is important to note that there was not a single sociopolitical vision that dominated the works of the Renaissance. In addition to Locke, there were two other extremely influentialShow MoreRelatedHarlem And The Harlem Renaissance Essay2269 Words   |  10 Pagessouthern African Americans migrated to a city called Harlem in New York. They relocated due to dogmatism and intolerance of melanin diverging out the of pores of many white southerners. The African Americans who migrated found new opportunities both economic and artistic that resulted to the creation of a stable middle class Black –Americans (Dover, 2006). This was the Harlem Renaissance a cultural, social, and artistic explosion. The core of Harlem expressed by Alain Locke is that through art, â€Å"negroRead MoreHarlem And The Harlem Renaissance1430 Words   |  6 Pagesmoved in to urban cities such as Chicago, Detroit, and Harlem. Out of these nort hern metropolises, the most popular was Harlem; â€Å"here in Manhattan (Harlem) is not merely the largest Negro community in the world, but the first concentration in history of so many diverse element of Negro life†(1050). Harlem became the mecca of black people, and between the years of 1920 and the late 1930s it was known as the Harlem Renaissance. The Harlem Renaissance, brought artiest, poets, writers, musicians, and intelligentRead MoreThe Harlem Renaissance850 Words   |  4 Pages Giselle Villanueva History IB Mr. Flores February 7, 2016 Period 4 Word Count: 693 Harlem Renaissance The Harlem Renaissance was the first period in the history of the United States in which a group of black poets, authors, and essayist seized the opportunity to express themselves. The Great Migration was the movement of six million African Americans from the rural South to the cities of the North during 1916 to 1970. Driven from their homes by unsatisfactory economic opportunities and harsh segregationistRead MoreThe Harlem Renaissance1154 Words   |  5 PagesIV AP 16 November 2015 The Harlem Renaissance The early 1900s was a time marked with tragedy in America. Started and ended with the Great Depression in between, it was not America s finest moment. Prohibition was in place, the Klu Klux Klan was still marching, and the Lost Generation was leaving for Paris. But despite the troubling times, people still found beauty and meaning in the world around them. They still created art and celebrated life. The Harlem Renaissance was an artistic and literaryRead MoreThe Harlem Renaissance941 Words   |  4 PagesThe Harlem Renaissance was a cultural movement, in the early 1920’s, that involved vibrancies of new life, ideas, and perceptions. The large migration of African Americans northward, after World War I, allowed people of color the opportunity to collaborate in the New York City neighborhood, known as Harlem. This renaissance allowed the city to thrive on a refined understanding and appreciation of the arts. Many individuals were involved in this movement including doctors, s tudents, shopkeepers,Read MoreThe Harlem Renaissance1317 Words   |  6 Pagesday is the Harlem Renaissance. The Harlem Renaissance is the cultural movement of the 1920’s. The movement essentially kindled a new black cultural identity through art, literature and intellect. The Harlem Renaissance started during the Roaring Twenties. It took place in Harlem, New York. It became most prominent in the mid to late 1920’s and it diminished toward the early 1930’s (Henderson). The Harlem Renaissance was initially called the New Negro Movement or the New Negro Renaissance. It was theRead More The Harlem Renaissance Essay1513 Words   |  7 PagesThe Harlem Renaissance      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Chapter 1 Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Harlem Renaissance, an African American cultural movement of the 1920s and early 1930s that was centered in the Harlem neighborhood of New York City. According to Wintz: The Harlem Renaissance was â€Å"variously known as the New Negro movement, the New Negro Renaissance, and the Negro Renaissance, the movement emerged toward the end of World War I in 1918, blossomed in the mid- to late 1920s, and then withered in the mid-1930sRead MoreHarlem Renaissance Essay1069 Words   |  5 PagesHARLEM RENAISSANCE Throughout the history of African Americans, there have been important historical figures as well as times. Revered and inspirational leaders and eras like, Martin Luther King and the Civil Rights Movement, Nat Turner and the slave revolt, or Huey Newton and the Black Panther Party. One such period that will always remain a significant part of black art and culture is the Harlem Renaissance. It changed the meaning of art and poetry, as it was known then. Furthermore, theRead More The Harlem Renaissance Essay1031 Words   |  5 PagesHARLEM RENAISSANCE Throughout the history of African Americans, there have been important historical figures as well as times. Revered and inspirational leaders and eras like, Martin Luther King and the Civil Rights Movement, Nat Turner and the slave revolt, or Huey Newton and the Black Panther Party. One such period that will always remain a significant part of black art and culture is the Harlem Renaissance. It changed the meaning of art and poetry, as it was known then. Furthermore, theRead MoreThe Harlem Renaissance Of The 1920s1557 Words   |  7 Pagesnot until the evil intentions of slavery crossed mankind’s thoughts that hue became our downfall, our separator. White supremacy eroded the idea of equality, and darker hues began to symbolize worthlessness, inferiority, and ugliness. The Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s evoked the idea of black consciousness and pride. It was a movement established to express black literature, art, music, and culture. Blacks began to wear their dark hue like a badge of honor. Art, literature, and music became the