Racial Pride & The Harlem Renaissance

Racial Pride & The H.Renaissance: My Q’s How did Booker T. Washington, W.E.B. DuBois, and Marcus Garvey differ in their perspectives about fighting discrimination against African Americans? How did the two common themes of Harlem Renaissance art and literature affect many Americans? What was slumming?

Moving Out! 400,000 blacks left the South during WWI to find jobs in wartime work in Northern factories. New York City’s black population swelled from 152,000 at the beginning of the war to 327,000 by the end of the war. This movement of blacks from the South to the North is often called The Great Migration. Despite the move, African Americans once again found racism and discrimination prevalent. However, in the North, blacks knew they could express themselves more freely than they could in the South.

Three Men, Three Leaders Foremost among the black population, were three men who were not afraid to voice their opinions about African Americans’ roles in American society. The three are: Booker T. Washington W.E.B. Dubois Marcus Garvey Each one of them had very different opinions.

Booker T. Washington Born a slave, Washington became educated after the Civil War. In 1881, Washington organized Tuskegee University, a college devoted to teaching blacks work skills and trades. Washington believed that if blacks could prove they were hard workers and could help white America make more money, then racism would slowly fade away.

W.E.B Du Bois Du Bois, in 1895, was the first black person to earn a PhD from Harvard. As a professor of History at Atlanta University, Du Bois openly criticized Booker T. Washington’s viewpoint. He denounced Washington’s call for patience and reliance on only manual skills for blacks. Du Bois instead demanded full racial equality, including the same educational opportunities as whites. He also said that blacks should actively fight against racism. Eventually, Du Bois would form the NAACP.

Marcus Garvey Born in Jamaica in 1887, Garvey went on to found the United Negro Improvement Association (UNIA) in New York City in He declared that it was impossible to change white America’s racism and that they had to start embracing their own race and black culture. He promoted the separation of the African American community from white America. Garvey founded a chain of UNIA grocery stores and other businesses owned by only black people. Because of his leadership, 80,000 African Americans joined the UNIA. One newspaper noted, “In a world where black is despised, Garvey taught his followers that black is beautiful.”

The Harlem Renaissance As hundreds of thousands of blacks flooded NYC during WWI in search of jobs, there was also an infusion of African American culture and pride that no American city had ever seen before. Many of these new black residents settled in a wealthy NYC community called Harlem. However, once African Americans moved in, the white people moved out.

Racism in the Big Apple Although some blacks in Harlem were able to secure middle-class jobs as real estate agents, ministers, and funeral directors, a majority of blacks could only get unskilled work with bad wages. Many found no work at all, causing many issues within Harlem. Other problems in Harlem included overcrowding, huge outbreaks of tuberculosis, and high infant mortality rates. White government leaders paid little attention to these problems.

Harlem Renaissance Art & Literature Perhaps the most lasting contribution of the Harlem Renaissance was the African American literature and art that came out of the time period. This work would reflect how the Harlem Renaissance affected many Americans through its two major themes. One emphasized theme was that African Americans should be proud of their rich history and ways of life. This made more African Americans truly believe that “Black is Beautiful.” The other common theme of H. Renaissance art and literature was that inner cities were places of struggle and injustice towards minority groups. The work of the Harlem Renaissance exposed these urban problems to the American public in captivating ways.

Slumming in Harlem Jazz, a new African American musical genre, enticed many Americans from around the country. Often whites from wealthier neighborhoods would go out and enjoy the “exotic” night life of Harlem. When whites did this they often called it slumming. Because wealthier whites wanted excitement and had the cash, illicit businesses sprang up in Harlem. Prostitution, speakeasies, and cocaine was always on hand in Harlem. Harlem suffered long-term because of these businesses.

The Renaissance Ends Despite an all-time surge in employment, culture, and excitement for blacks in Harlem, the Renaissance came to a screeching halt. When the Stock Market crashed in 1929 and the Great Depression began, the Harlem Renaissance came to an abrupt end. Although the Harlem Renaissance seemed to highlight a promising future where African Americans were more respected within the U.S., severe racism started again during the Great Depression.

A Lasting Legacy However, the Harlem Renaissance left quite an impact that African Americans and others benefited from. Black writers, especially females, were now widely accepted as serious writers. Black culture, with it beliefs, music, food, and more, were spread throughout the country. Most importantly, the Harlem Renaissance convinced many downtrodden African Americans to finally feel good about themselves.