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

Renaissance – a rebirth or revival Usually refers to European Renaissance of An era of curiosity and innovation in science, architecture & fine arts A rebirth of the Golden Age of ancient Greece and Rome

Harlem Renaissance After WWI – a huge African American migration to the North Harlem (in NYC) welcomed writers, artists, musicians, performers, doctors, students and shopkeepers

Literature – the “Talented Tenth” Highly educated writers promoted the African American identity in poetry, short stories and drama. Harlem newspapers Crisis and Opportunity published new works.

Harlem Literary Magazines Writings celebrated rhythms of blues and jazz Captured street-wise wit of “real” African- American people Expressed frustration of a “dream deferred””

Langston Hughes – one of America’s most celebrated writers of poetry and fiction

Harlem Renaissance Authors Row 1: (left to right) Countee Cullen and Alice Dunbar-Nelson Row 2: Angelina Weld Grimké and Langston Hughes Row 3: Alain Locke and Claude McKay Row 4: Wallace Thurman and Carl Van Vechten

Jacob Lawrence – Tombstones and Builders

Parade – Jacob Lawrence

Harlem at Night Winold Reiss, 1924

Blues and Jazz

The Blues Origin – New Orleans Influences: African American folk music Work songs (shouts and hollers from slave fields) Gospel music

Jazz - An original American art form Earliest Jazz styles: Ragtime and Dixieland in 1890’sNew Orleans Has roots in: African rhythms European harmonies American Gospel sound Work songs

After 1917, Jazz spread north and west to New York, Chicago, San Francisco and St. Louis and developed into an improvisational type of music.

Jazz crossed race and cultural boundaries and became an American music style.