Intro to The Harlem Renaissance

“Harlem is indeed the great Mecca for the sight-seer; the pleasure seeker, the curious, the adventurous, the enterprising, the ambitious and the talented of the whole Negro world.“ –Alain Locke

Harlem Renaissance: What is it? Period in the early 20s where African American creativity and thought redefined Young writers, artists, and musicians saw Harlem as a place to express themselves

Why Harlem? Many African Americans move north to Find a better education for their children Employment opportunities Escape racism With end of WWI there is an emphasis on creating African American communities in the north

Characteristics African Americans gain access to “engines of public opinion” Magazines such as Crisis and Opportunity promote black viewpoints and gain readership African Americans work together for similar goals

Characteristics cont’d Break down racial stereotypes Emphasized beauty and significance of American black experience Celebrated the creativity of black Americans Optimism about African Americans’ future

Not just literature… Musicians and Artists also find a voice during this time period Development of modern jazz is associated with the Harlem cabarets

Trends in Poetry Two types of poetry emerge: Experimental verse inspired from African American music (spirituals, jazz). Exploration of traditional verse patterns

A Brief Timeline… 1890-1920—around 2 million African Americans begin to move north 1910—The National Association for the Advancement of Colored (NAACP) People is founded 1917—10,000-15,000 African Americans march in the silent protest parade down Fifth Avenue 1917—Poet Claude McKay gets published in a white literary jounal 1921—Musical Shuffle Along opens on Broadway, which some believe sparked the Harlem Renaissance

Timeline Cont. 1922—First major book of the Harlem Renaissance, a novel by Claude McKay, is published 1923—Pianist and composer Duke Ellington arrives in New York 1923—Harlem’s most famous Cabaret, the Cotton Club, opens 1925—Jazz is showcased in the “First American Jazz Concert” in NY 1926—Langston Hughes’s first volume of poetry is published

Timeline These are only a few events. The renaissance would continue into the mid 1930s.

Images of Harlem