1. Chapter 24, Section 3 “The Jazz Age”
MINORITIES

2. African Americans in Early 20th Century
Redemption – with the end of Reconstruction in 1876 and the removal of federal troops from the South, the Southern Democratic Party sought to regain control (often with the support of groups like the KKK)
Jim Crow laws – set up segregation in public places in the South
Plessy v. Ferguson – US Supreme Court case that said that “separate but equal” segregation was legal
Restrictions on voting – in violation of the 15th Amendment Southern states passed laws to restrict their right to vote (Grandfather’s clause, literacy tests, poll taxes)

3. Ku Klux Klan
Racist group that terrorized African Americans after Reconstruction that saw a resurgence in the 1920s
5 million members
Harassed African Americans, but also Catholics, Jews, and immigrants
Also fought women’s rights, urbanization, and technology

4. Marcus Garvey Born in Jamaica and eventually moved to New York in 1917
Published a newspaper for African Americans in which he expressed his ideas about how African Americans could improve their place in society
Encouraged black people around the world to express pride in their culture and to unite to build strength
Encouraged African Americans to build economic independence by building their own businesses and supporting other businesses owned by black people
Founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association to help spread black nationalism (what his ideas are collectively known as)
Marcus Garvey

5. The Great Migration
The economic opportunities of the era (during WWI and the prosperous 1920s) triggered a widespread migration of black Americans from the rural south to the industrial centers of the north - and especially to New York City
In New York and other cities, black Americans explored new opportunities for intellectual and social freedom
Black American artists, writers, and musicians began to use their talents to work for civil rights and obtain equality

6. Jacob Lawrence grew up in a settlement house in Harlem during the Harlem Renaissance
Lawrence's parents were among those who migrated between , considered the first wave of the migration
His own life in Harlem, and the struggle of other African Americans inspired his earliest work
Jacob Lawrence

7. Lawrence’s Work
Jacob Lawrence painted his Great Migration series during the 1940s to capture the experience of African Americans during the 1920s

8. Harlem Renaissance
The Harlem Renaissance was a flowering of African American social thought which was expressed through
Paintings
Music
Dance
Theater
Literature

9. Where is Harlem?
New York State
New York City →

10. Where is Harlem? *
New York City is on Manhattan Island

11. Manhattan Neighborhoods
Harlem *

12. Hughes is known for his insightful, colorful, realistic portrayals of black life in America.
He wrote poetry, short stories, novels, and plays, and is known for his involvement with the world of jazz and the influence it had on his writing.
He wanted to tell the stories of his people in ways that reflected their actual culture.
Langston Hughes

13. To listen to Langston Hughes read his poem, click here.
I, too, sing America.
I am the darker brother.
They send me to eat in the kitchen
When company comes,
But I laugh,
And eat well,
And grow strong. 
Tomorrow,
I'll be at the table
When company comes.
Nobody'll dare
Say to me,
"Eat in the kitchen,“
Then. 
Besides,
They'll see how beautiful I am
And be ashamed-- 
I, too, am America.
I, too, sing America
(1920s)
To listen to Langston Hughes read his poem, click here.
'I, Too' written just before Hughes’ return to the States from Europe and after he'd been denied passage on a ship because of his color, has a contemporary feel in contrast to the mythical dimension of 'The Negro Speaks of Rivers'. It is no less powerful however, in its expression of social injustice. The calm clear statements of the 'I' have an unstoppable force like the progress the poem envisages. Hughes's dignified introductions to these poems and his beautiful speaking voice render them all the more moving.
From PoetryArchive.org
What is the tone or mood of this poem?
Why do you think the poem was written and for what audience?
List two things in this poem that tell you about life in the United States at the time.

14. The Jazz Age
The 1920s are known as the “Jazz Age” due to the popularity of jazz music in the decade
Jazz was a blend of European harmonies and West African rhythms that began in New Orleans and moved north during the Great Migration
Young people loved it and the fast-paced dances that went with it
It symbolized the divide in the decade between the younger and older generations

15. Duke Ellington
Ellington was a jazz composer, conductor, and performer during the Harlem Renaissance
During the formative Cotton Club years, he experimented with and developed the style that would quickly bring him worldwide success
Ellington would be among the first to focus on musical form and composition in jazz
Ellington wrote over 2000 pieces in his lifetime

16. The Cotton Club The Cotton Club in Harlem opened in 1923
Its revue shows featured glamorous dancing girls, acclaimed tap dancers, vaudeville performers, and comics
The shows featured African American performers and white-only audiences
The Duke Ellington Orchestra was the "house" orchestra for a number of years at the Cotton Club

17. Apollo Theater
In opposition to the Cotton Club was this theater that featured the same performers, but was open to African American audiences

18. Louis Armstrong
Louis Armstrong was a jazz composer and trumpet player during the Harlem Renaissance.
He is widely recognized as a founding father of jazz.
He appeared in 30 films and averaged 300 concerts per year, performing for both kids on the street and heads of state.
Biggest Hits: When the Saints Come Marching In, What a Wonderful World

19. Questions to think about: 1. What do you see?
2. What does each part of the painting represent?
5. What actions/activities do you see?
6. What questions does this painting raise in your mind?
7. How does this painting relate to the Harlem Renaissance?
“Ascent from Ethiopia,” Louis Mailou Jones. 1932

20. Effects of the Harlem Renaissance
The Harlem Renaissance helped to redefine how Americans and the world understood African American culture.
It integrated black and white cultures, and marked the beginning of a black urban society.
The Harlem Renaissance set the stage for the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 60s.

21. Negro League Baseball
Another aspect of the movement of African Americans north (and the discrimination they faced there) was the creation of professional baseball teams for just black players
African Americans in northern and eastern cities had the time and money to go to games now
Some of the greatest players of all-time played in these leagues such as Josh Gibson, Satchel Paige, and Jackie Robinson

22. Native Americans
Thousands of Native Americans served in World War I
This helped convince Congress to pass the Indian Citizenship Act in 1924 that granted citizenship to all Native Americans
Also during this time the federal government was trying to buy back as much reservation land as possible
Native Americans organized groups to try to stop this and to build pride in Native American culture
Native American leaders with
President Coolidge after the bill was signed into law

23. Hispanic Americans
Hispanic Americans also faced discrimination in the US in the 1920s
This treatment would include segregation and a denial of voting rights
League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) – created in 1929 by a group of Mexican American leaders to fight to improve their situation

24. Lost Generation
Nickname for the group of young writers and their followers who expressed feelings of disillusionment in the American society
They were worried about their futures and felt as though American society was losing its sense of morality
Some like Ernest Hemingway moved to Paris to escape our society and write
Others like F. Scott Fitzgerald stayed and wrote about the problems in our society (in books like “The Great Gatsby”)
← Ernest
Hemingway
In Paris in
1923
F. Scott
Fitzgerald →
writing