Harlem Renaissance

1919-1940

Jaclyn Alexandria Cubillas

The Birthplace Harlem, a district within

New York City was the most popular city, African Americans migrated too after the civil war and during the economic hardships following the U.S’s involvement in WW1.

Harlem originally housed upper-class middle class whites. Civil rights leader James Weldon Johnson claimed Harlem was the “Negro capital of the world”.

The Concept

African Americans or “Blacks” would showcase their talents, intellect and progress in the arts and politics in order to obtain more civil rights.

Civil right activist James Weldon Johnson proposed that in order to establish new vernacular forms and a new voice of political expression, the stereotypes had to be broken and separated from the Black race.

The vernacular of sermons and slave songs weren’t the only forms of expression in literature. New forms of diction, dialect and expression were made in many new art forms including poetry, song, theatre, literature and music.

The Concept

In combining many cultures of African decent including “Blacks” of the West Indies, Africa and the Caribbean there was a reconnection with African roots/heritage.

As a result, new vernacular and forms of pure “Black” expression were made. (The goal was to exempt white influence or traces of it’s references)

Worldwide

Not only was this newfound racial movement of the arts occurring in Harlem or even the U.S but also in other parts of the world such as the “West Indies”.

This movement was referred to as “Negritude”.

Activist Johnson among other scholars utilized the influence and success of other racial movements such as the Irish movement in Britain to fuse the nationalist pride of the Black American population.

James Weldon Johnson

Activist Intellectual Challenged Black artists

and writers to change the forms of expression to be “African American”

Recognized colorism within racism.

Theatre

Ridgley Torrance wrote Three Plays for a Negro Theatre, Torrance challenged the minstrel shows of American Vaudeville that was simultaneously showcasing up until the 1930s.

James Weldon Johnson to be, “The most important single event in the entire history of the Negro in the American theater.

Theatre

Racial awareness and separation between reality and the stereotype was Torrance’s goal and message throughout his plays.

Mulatto was a play written by Langston Hughes and performed in 1935.

Music

Luis Armstrong Duke Ellington Billie Holiday Ella Fitzgerald

The Cotton Club Opened in the 1920s on 142nd Street and Lenox

Street. Originally segregated however, Duke Ellington, Billie

Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald made their appearances. On the most renowned Jazz Clubs

Duke Ellington Edward Kennedy Ellington Arguably the most influential

black musician and bandleader in 20th century

Appeared in movies Music praised by both black and

white music critics Consider the first to successfully

exploit the 3 minute music format for 78 rpm discs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDQpZT3GhDg

Achievements

The Harlem Renaissance left an imprint on the Black culture and the foreshadow before the civil rights movement of 1940-1950.

In addition many organizations and corporations for supporting the Black arts and politics were created and still remain such as the National Association for the advancement of colored people (NAACP)

Key Players