The Harlem Renaissance African American History Mr. Burnett.

Following the Civil War… AAs were not in a position socially, economically or politically to be really involved in art and culture. –Theory of Anti-Culture. (Burnett) –Hierarchy of Needs (Maslow)

Theories of Wells, DuBois and Garrison… Begin to move toward black nationalism. –Hobson, Morel and Garvey. Period spans Hughes was the voice of the movement.

The development of the movement As AAs became more capable of basic existence, they were able to begin to extent themselves culturally. Characteristics of the art reflected their view of America.

Williams and Walker-the first all-Black musical on Broadway. "In Dahomey" George Walker and Egbert Austin Williams were a vaudeville comedy team. Williams and Walker pioneered a new kind of "Black" humor and eventually developed their own company.

Major characteristics. 1. Harlem Renaissance (HR) is the name given to the period from the end of World War I and through the middle of the 1930s Depression, during which a group of talented African-American writers produced a sizable body of literature in the four prominent genres of poetry, fiction, drama, and essay.

2. The notion of "twoness", a divided awareness of one's identity, was introduced by Du Bois, The duality –American –a Negro

3. Common themes. alienation, marginality, the use of folk material, the use of the blues tradition, the problems of writing for an elite audience.

4. HR was more than just a literary movement: it included racial consciousness, The back to Africa movement led by Marcus Garvey, racial integration, the explosion of music particularly jazz, spirituals and blues painting, dramatic revues, and others.

Reference: Harlem: Mecca of the New Negro. Prepared by:Matthew G. Kirschenbaum and Catherine Tousignant. University of Virginia's Electronic Text Center. PAL: Perspectives in American Literature - A Research and Reference Guide. An Ongoing Online Project- Paul P. Reuben