HARLEM RENAISSANCE 1920’s-1930’s

MIGRATION

Many in the Harlem Renaissance were part of the Great Migration out of the South into the negro neighborhoods of the North and Midwest

Industrialization was attracting people to cities from rural areas and gave rise to a new mass culture

African Americans sought a better standard of living and relief from the institutionalized (normalcy) racism in the South

Others were people of African descent from racially segregated communities in the Caribbean who came to the United States hoping for a better life

Uniting most was through their travel to Harlem, New York City

HARLEM, NEW YORK CITY

Once an exclusive district and suburb for both white middle and upper classes, with stately houses, grand avenues and amenities such as the stadiums and an opera house

Because of the large number of European immigrants flowing through the late 19th century, Harlem was abandoned by the white middle-class

Harlem became the center of this expanding negro neighborhood and middle class

1910, a large block along 135th Street and Fifth Avenue was bought by various African-American realtors and church groups

Other cities in which negro communities traveled to were Chicago, Philadelphia & Cleveland

EXPANDING HARLEM CULTURE

A few of the first representations of the Harlem Renaissance was started in the late 1910’s

Examples include: In 1917 an all negro play and cast Three Plays for a Negro Theatre was introduced In 1919 black writers, Claude McKay & James Weldon Johnson were published, focusing on the reality of negro life in America 1920’s embodied a great deal of jazz music, blossomed and became very popular with the citizens of Harlem

Growth as well as development of the style & culture of Negros was becoming more attractive to whites

White novelists, dramatists and composers started to appreciate the musical tendencies and themes of African-Americans within their own works

THE “NEW NEGRO”

Ideas of this “New Negro” stemmed from:

Racial Pride/Racial Identity

Intellect and production of literature, art, and music contributed to the

challenge of slowly erasing the racial and stereotypical shame placed on

the black race

These artistic styles served to uplift the race

Included perspectives of both “high-culture” & “low-culture” Negros

Duality created various depictions of black life

Location (Harlem) obviously played a significant role because it was primarily

African American

Created a sense of unity, fighting for the same cause and even the

passion of introducing the “Negro Voice”

THE “NEGRO VOICE”

The “Negro Voice” consisted of:

Experience of Slavery

Experience of the modern black life in the urban North

Exploring the idea of black identity

Effects of Racism

Dilemmas of writing of the elite, white audiences

IMPACT OF HARLEM RENAISSANCE

It was not only an explosion of the artistic realm, but also culture perspective

The success of the Harlem Renaissance changed the view of blacks from those

strictly involved & those admiring it from afar

It redefined how America, and the world, viewed the African-American population

The migration of southern Blacks to the north changed the image of the African-

American from rural, undereducated peasants to one of urban, cosmopolitan

sophistication

This new identity led to a greater social consciousness, and African-Americans

became players on the world stage, expanding intellectual and social contacts

internationally

Urban setting of rapidly developing Harlem provided a venue for African-

Americans of all backgrounds to appreciate the variety of Black life and culture