Harlem Renaissance

By: Lyssa Barochin

The Harlem Renaissance

• The Harlem Renaissance took place in the years following Civil War, from 1920 to the 1930s. A few years before a large number of African Americans began to migrate from southern U.S. states to Northern ones. The North wasn’t perfect but it provided better opportunities for blacks such as better education.

The Harlem Renaissance Cont.

• This migration was known as the Great Migration. Many of those who migrated moved to the city of Harlem in New York and this was the start of the Renaissance. The Renaissance can be best described as a movement which brought attention to African American literature, art, music, dance, and poetry.

Literary Period

The Renaissance was originally referred to as the New Negro Movement.

It focused on issues African Americans faced, such as racism through music, dance, poetry, literature and much more.

Social Elements

• Racism was still apparent even in the North. For example places like the Cotton Club only excepted white clientele. However those of color such as Duke Ellington where allowed to perform there.

Social Elements

• Immigrants from the Caribbean Islands also affected the Renaissance. Since they were used to being judge based on social class and not on skin color they were constantly trying to improve their position in the economy. Claude McKay was a famous poet of the time, and he was also Jamaican.

Artistic Elements

• The artistic elements of the Renaissance were literature, dance, art, theater, poetry, and music in which focused on African American life during the time.

Artistic Elements

• The Renaissance became what it was because of its Artistic Elements.

Political Elements

• W.E.B. Du Bois was one of the main leaders of the movement during this time. Du Bois along with other political activist founded the N.A.A.C.P.

Politics

• Another leader during this time was Marcus Garvey. Mr. Garvey founded the (UNIA-ACL) which called for the reuniting of African Americans in one absolute government.

Religious Elements

• The majority of people in Harlem during the Renaissance were Christian but some were Black Hebrews or Black Muslims.

Music

• A big part of the Harlem Renaissance was music. Jazz became popular and was played in places such as the Savory Club, the Cotton Club, and the Apollo Theater.

Music Cont.

Musical greats of the time were Duke Ellington, Lena Horne and Cab Callaway.

Dance

• Along with the music came dancing, and during this time the Charleston ,Lindy Hop, and jazz dance were very popular.

Poetry

• Some of the great poets during the Harlem Renaissance were Countee Cullen and Langston Hughes.

Literature

• In 1925 Alain Locke’s anthology “The New Negro” was published.

• The anthology was a collection literature from writers such as Langston Hughes and Jean Toomer.

Art• The most notable artist of the time included

Aaron Douglass who is said to be the “father of Afro-American Art”.

Interesting Facts

• W.E.B Du Bois helped to found the N.A.A.C.P. which is still prominent today.

• The people of Harlem often threw rent parties, which were parties thrown in ones apartment with the intention of getting rent money by charging a fee at the door.

Interesting Facts cont.

• The Harlem Renaissance ended because of the Great Depression.

• The Harlem Renaissance took place during the Roaring 20s.

Interesting Facts

* Countee Cullen's father was a prominent Reverend during the Harlem Renaissance.