The Harlem Renaissance Harlem, NY – 1920’s An upsurge in African American cultural expression

Harlem Renaissance Occurred during the Great Migration of 1916 through the 1920s—millions of black farmers and sharecroppers moved to the urban North in search of opportunity and freedom. Thousands of migrants settled in Harlem, a New York City neighborhood that quickly became the cultural center of African-American life. The country was in the middle of the “Roaring 20s”, a time of economic prosperity

Harlem Renaissance Organizations such as the NAACP were forming to fight for civil rights These organizations had journals to spread their message Many Harlem Renaissance writers were first published in these new journals

Harlem Renaissance Reflected on what it meant to be black and educated in a white world Wrote poems and stories inspired by current events, jazz music, and emulating classic writers Expressed a pride in their cultural identity and heritage

Harlem Renaissance Much literature and art was inspired by the blues of New Orleans Roots in gospel music and spirituals from the time of slavery Expression of hard times

Harlem Renaissance Langston Hughes emerged as one of the era’s most prolific and famous writers of poetry and prose Focused on poor and working class African-Americans, a group that had been largely ignored

Harlem Renaissance The economic collapse of the Great Depression (1929) forced the movement to end prematurely Writers and artists scattered and had to find work, leaving less time for art The Harlem Renaissance planted the seeds for the Civil Rights movement that wouldn’t occur for another 40 years