Monday, February 3, 2014

The Harlem Renaissance  During World War I and the 1920s, hundreds of thousands of African Americans joined the Great Migration from the rural South to industrial cities in the North.  Populations swelled in large Northern cities. Nightclubs and music filled these cities, particularly the New York City neighborhood of Harlem.

The Harlem Renaissance  Artistic development, racial pride, and political organization combined in a flowering of African American arts.  This became known as the Harlem Renaissance.

The Harlem Renaissance  Claude McKay was the first important writer of the Harlem Renaissance.  In his 1922 poetry collection, Harlem Shadows, McKay expressed a proud defiance and bitter contempt of racism.

The Harlem Renaissance  New Orleans native Louis Armstrong moved to Chicago in There he introduced an early form of jazz, a musical style influenced by Dixieland and ragtime, with syncopated rhythms and improvisational elements.  Composer, pianist, and bandleader Edward “Duke” Ellington also had a special sound, a blend of improvisation and orchestration using different combinations of instruments.

The Harlem Renaissance  Theater also flourished during the Harlem Renaissance.  Shuffle Along,the first musical written, produced, and performed by African Americans, made its Broadway debut in 1921.

African Americans and 1920’s Politics  The Great Migration of African Americans to the North had a significant impact as well.  As their numbers grew in city neighborhoods, African Americans became an influential voting bloc.  In 1928 African American voters in Chicago helped elect Oscar DePriest. He was the first African American representative in Congress from a Northern state.

African Americans and 1920’s Politics  The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) battled hard against segregation and discrimination against African Americans.  Its efforts focused primarily on lobbying public officials and working through the court system.  The NAACP’s persistent protests against the horrors of lynching led to the passage of antilynching legislation in the House of Representatives in  In 1930 the NAACP joined with labor unions to launch a highly organized national campaign against the nomination of Judge John J. Parker to the U.S. Supreme Court.

African Americans and 1920’s Politics  In 1928 African American voters in Chicago helped elect Oscar DePriest.  He was the first African American representative in Congress from a Northern state.

African Americans and 1920’s Politics  A dynamic leader from Jamaica, Marcus Garvey captured the imagination of millions of African Americans with his “Negro Nationalism.”  Garvey founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA), aimed at promoting black pride and unity.