The Harlem Renaissance was an era of massive growth in art, music, poetry, and dancing during the 1920s. Many started to enjoy this upbeat music and empowering literature. This is what is well known about the Harlem Renaissance. This all originated after The Great Migration. These forms were very influential, even the white Americans started to use them. They used them even though they usually discriminated them. This art form lasted from The Great War to The Great Depression. This period of time has had a boom in popular literature was and performed in many places today. There was much dancing and everyone was very happy during this time. There were also many artists that are still famous for their work.
The Harlem Renaissance was a boom in the arts and literature. After the great migration, African Americans shared their culture with the world during the 1920s. This all took place in Harlem, a popular neighborhood in New York City. There were many popular places that were used during the Harlem Renaissance. The Apollo Theater was a place where African Americans expressed their culture through music. The Savoy Ballroom was another important place in Harlem. It was used to dance the most modern dances of the time mixed with their African American way of dancing. Minton’s Playhouse was a very popular theater where jazz was mostly performed. Artists such as Duke Ellington and Ella Fitzgerald sang jazz songs in these theaters.
Our writers can help you with any type of essay. For any subject
Order now
There were many popular figures during this time. Bessie Smith was a blues singer during the Harlem Renaissance. She wrote songs such as I ain’t got nobody and Nobody knows you when you are down. Claude Mckay was a poet during this time. He wrote If we must die and Harlem Shadows.
Langston Hughes was another famous person during the Harlem Renaissance. He wrote many inspiring books and poems that we still read today. He showed the nation that he is a person too. One cannot define him because of his skin color.
Langston Hughes was born in 1902. He was born in Joplin, Missouri. His parents were James and Caroline Hughes, who got divorced when he was very young. His father moved to Mexico and his mother was always looking for a steady job, so Langston Hughes always lived with his grandmother. After his grandmother died, he and his mother moved to Cleveland, Ohio in 1921. He started to write poetry in high school when one of his teachers suggested it. He often published poems in the school newspaper. Between the times of when he graduated high school and when he started college, he wrote his most famous poem, The Negro Speaks of Rivers. He went to Columbia University to become a mining engineer just like his father wanted for him. But, Langston Hughes did not want to become a mining engineer, so he dropped out.
Langston Hughes started his career in high school when he first wrote his first poem, The Negro Speaks of Rivers. He continued to write more poems about discrimination and racial equality. There were many people who were courageous at this time. They had to express their culture in a white world. The Harlem Renaissance allowed them to express themselves freely. Everyone loved this type of poetry and music. This boom in arts and literature allowed more people to allow themselves to get excited over the music. Everyone loves this type of music. They are also starting to realize that the people whom they exclude the most is making this art. In this period whites and blacks are starting to come together, collaborating to make this music and art. More people want to look at their artwork. They are all starting to see the blacks as equals. But, they are not considered people until 1954. Between that time and the Harlem Renaissance, there was segregation happening all over the United States.
The Harlem Renaissance was an era of massive growth in art, music, poetry, and dancing during the 1920s. This all originated after The Great Migration. These forms were very influential, even the white Americans started to use them. They used them even though they usually discriminated them. This art form lasted from The Great War to The Great Depression.
The Harlem Renaissance was a boom in the arts and literature. After the great migration, African Americans shared their culture with the world during the 1920s. This all took place in Harlem, a popular neighborhood in New York City.
Even though African Americans were discriminated, they were not afraid to show their customs. The Harlem Renaissance ended when the Great Depression began. They were not as excited to make music as they were before the Depression. The Harlem Renaissance was such a significant time, we still remember it today. African Americans continued to show their way of life, even though they faced discrimination.
Artistic Contributions Of The Harlem Renaissance
The Harlem Renaissance was caused by the migration of African Americans, their search for identity, and talent. After the abolition of slavery many blacks moved toward industrialized cities. There, they hoped to find success and be identified as common people. After World War I, people began to recognize the African American identity and saw their work as more than an object but rather a piece of art. The art works blacks created were due to their progression in literature and visual arts (Blackman). Therefore, several artistic contributions were made by African Americans during the time period of the Harlem Renaissance; thus, the art works demonstrate their culture, struggles and feelings caused by racism.
African Americans faced prejudices in the visual arts. However, for that reason, they focused more and created “realistic paintings of landscapes, historical scenes, and portraits of famous people and prominent or wealthy families.” (The Beauty). Though strenuous work and determination blacks got the appreciation they deserved and “… felt freer to learn, experiment, and generally practice their art” (The Beauty). Several famous white artists were interested in the African Americans way of creating art, thus they began including aspects of African American art into their own pieces of art. For those reason blacks began to create new forms of art which included images being based on African American masks and other aspects of their culture, such as tribal traditions and dances. With more aspects of their culture in their works, whites would include it in their own and spread the African American culture as well, helping identify blacks as common people. Moreover, another person interested in African visual arts was a real-estate developer and philanthropist called William E. Harmon. Harmon created exhibitions for African American art which “provided an opportunity and showcase for black artists to gain national and international recognition that otherwise would not have been available to them” (Hammond). One of the most well-known artists from the time period of the Harlem Renaissance was Aaron Douglas. Douglass is known for “his murals, paintings, book designs, and periodical illustrations” (Hammond). Douglas’ artistic contributions displayed African American culture as he created “scenes fusing jungle drums, rhythms, and dances with the music and dance of Jazz Age Harlem” (Nieman). Thus, the artistic contributions made by African Americans during the time period of the Harlem Renaissance demonstrate their culture.
Our writers can help you with any type of essay. For any subject
Order now
Furthermore, African Americans expressed their pain, and culture through music and literature. Blacks began to make music called blues and jazz in which the topic of the songs were often the oppression blacks endured during the times of slavery and racism. In addition, “many African American authors [were] influenced by the blues…” (Griffler). With emotional songs, the literature was often also emotional and one well known book is called The Narrows (1953), by Ann Lane Petry. Other prominent and influential writers during the Harlem Renaissance were W.E.B Du Bois, Langston Hughes, and Zora Neale Hurston. Du Bois was one of the founders of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored people, and wrote several books on race issues. His main contribution however, was “the phrase ‘talented tenth’ to denote the group of highly educated, culturally adept, and politically astute blacks who would lead the rest of the race into better lives” (Harlem). Meanwhile, Hughes was known for depicting the black “life as he saw it, [and did not write in order to] impress the critics who believed that he should present black life in the best possible light to help improve the plight of African Americans” (Harlem). Similarly, Hurston “fought against the belief that the poverty often associated with black American culture made it less valuable. She continually encouraged blacks… to recognize their rural cultural heritage… [and through her own writing, she offered readers a] positive self-affirmation for African Americans” (Harlem). The artistic contributions made during the Harlem Renaissance by W.E.B Du Bois, Langston Hughes, and Zora Neale Hurston were clearly demonstrative of black culture, history, and struggle. Along with their own contributions, they also influenced other to further their own ideas on black culture, struggles, and feelings caused by racism.
Not to mention, During the Harlem Renaissance African Americans experienced a new form of freedom through their talents. For example, African Americans were able to appear in theatres and express themselves. However, there was still discrimination against blacks at the time and blackface did occur. Blackface was most commonly done by whites in order to portray stereotypes of African Americans. However, African Americans also put on blackface to please the white crowd as they expected them to be darker than they actually were. In addition, Shuffle Along created by Langston Hughes became one of the most important black theatrical production. People flocked to go see the Broadway show due to its music and dancing.
