Harlem Renaissance A Community Makes Their Voice Heard

What inspires the Harlem Renaissance? Great Migration (African-Americans) Between 1910 and 1920 Leaving Sharecropping and Jim Crow Laws Moved North to join the industry-based economy (work in factories) North didn’t necessarily mean better or safer

What inspires the Harlem Renaissance? Race Riots Racial tensions high 1908 Springfield Race Riot Springfield Illinois Transfer of 2 African-Americans out of prison, upset white sheriff, he goes around burning black businesses 7 dead Around 25 other major urban race riots in 1919 alone

What inspires the Harlem Renaissance? Organizations: In response to Springfield Race Riots: NAACP: National Association for the Advancement of Colored People Founded in 1909 (Date listed on founding on the 100th birthday of Abraham Lincoln) Still working today to ensure equal rights On the other side of the coin: UNIA: Universal Negro Improvement Association Led by Marcus Garvey who believed in separate African American Society Struggles to stick around after Garvey leaves

Harlem Renaissance Rehabilitation of “authentic blackness” Reaction to racism (especially in Modernist literature) Freud for example thought Africa was land of animals) Can’t have NO opinion although many different opinions-need change

Why “Harlem”? Why “Harlem”? Harlem is a neighborhood of New York City, New York Originally a Dutch settlement All the influential African-Americans lived there Highest percentage of blacks in 1950 Jazz and Dance clubs including famous Cotton Club

Why “Renaissance”? Renaissance means rebirth First “Renaissance” considered after the dark ages in Europe when people began rediscovering Latin and Greek scholars This Renaissance was artistic: Music, Literature, Paintings etc.

Jazz and Blues Music was incredibly important to the development of the culture Jazz: Allowed for improvisation (making up a solo on the spot) Commentary on racial discrimination through songs One of the first truly American forms of music Blues: Form of Jazz Largely in deep south Uses repetition with a punch line Expresses sadness(the blues)

Langston Hughes Home life Harlem: Poetry Born 1902 in Joplin, Missouri (the south) Elected “School Poet” as a kid Father left U.S. to escape racism, Hughes tried living with him for a while but it didn’t work Harlem: Moves in 1922 Leaves for a while to do the expatriate life Returns in 1929 Poetry Develops “Jazz Poetry” Upset people with some of his poems Focused on racial issues and poverty issues

Zora Neale Hurston We’ve taken notes on her (Regionalism) Anthropologist (Wrote about the people’s cultures) Novelist Short Story writer

Claude McKay Home life: Move to Harlem: Born 1889 in Jamaica Studied British literature growing up 1912 went to Booker T. Washington’s Tuskegee Institute Didn’t like the military aspect of it Preferred W.E.B. DuBois Move to Harlem: 1914 Published some Jamaican poems and poems that followed British structure Travels London to Russia looking for solutions to economic issues

James Weldon Johnson Home Life: Political Life: Writings: Born 1871 in Jacksonville Florida Studied the classics (Latin and Greek) growing up and in college Political Life: Worked for Theodore Roosevelt as consul to Venezuela and Nicaragua One of the first blacks to pass the Florida State Bar Became treasurer of NAACP- most influential Writings: Wrote poetry and stories from his literature studies Wrote words for the “Negro National Anthem”: “Lift Every Voice and Sing” Wrote influential “Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man” that addressed the issues of “Passing”

The Great Depression Economy hit the toilet. Communism is intriguing Later in history communism becomes more evil. At this point, many turned to Communism and Socialism for the answers to the questions of poverty Harlem speaks out Many of these voices spoke out against the poverty- especially amongst African Americans White people couldn’t understand why they weren’t just focusing on race.