Harlem Renaissance How was it started The Harlem

Harlem Renaissance

How was it started? • The Harlem Renaissance laid its roots right after the civil war. • Thousands of African Americans moved from the economically unstable South to the industrial North. There were many more job opportunities there that had been created by World War I. • This was known as the “Great Migration”. • Little by little many African Americans moved into New York’s neighborhood of Harlem. • Eventually Harlem because the political and social epicenter for African Americans. Langston Hughes

• This African-American cultural movement originated in Harlem, a neighborhood in New York’s Manhattan area. • Harlem was predominantly Jewish until 1910—the beginning of the Great Migration. • During the Great Migration (1910 – 1930), almost 750, 000 African Americans migrated to Northern cities. Of these, nearly 175, 000 moved to Harlem, making it the largest black community in the country. • These African Americans brought the music of the south and their ambitions along with them to Harlem. Langston Hughes

Who started it? • The Harlem Renaissance was a conglomeration of visions of many individuals which created a new identity for African Americans outside of the ideals of White society.

Who started it…cont’d • Leaders of the movement attempted to show that not only could African Americans master the arts of White society, but they could also create arts of their own that could be universally appreciated for their entertainment, beauty, and insight.

• The Harlem Renaissance refers to the flowering of African American cultural and intellectual life during the 1920 s and 1930 s. At the time, it was known as the "New Negro Movement", named after the 1925 anthology The New Negro edited by Alain Locke. Centered in the Harlem neighborhood of New York City, the movement impacted urban centers throughout the United States. Across the cultural spectrum (literature, drama, music, visual art, dance) and also in the realm of social thought (sociology, historiography, philosophy), artists and intellectuals found new ways to explore the historical experiences of black America and the contemporary experiences of black life in the urban North. Challenging white paternalism and racism, African-American artists and intellectuals rejected imitating the styles of Europeans and white Americans and instead celebrated black dignity and creativity.

WHERE DID IT BEGIN? • The Harlem Renaissance started in the neighborhood Harlem located in New York City. A lot of African Americans moved to the north from the south to get away from the oppressed south. Harlem quickly became known as the Negro capitol of the world.

Who were the main artists? • In the world of visual art, the leading graphic artist, and illustrator for many of James Weldon Johnson's works, was Aaron Douglas. In northern cities, black artists such as Douglas wanted to capture their people's movement, energy, and soul as jazz musicians had. One of the most successful artists to do this was Archibald J. Motley Jr. Using vibrant color and flowing shapes, Motley reflected in his work the fast-paced urban life he observed in Chicago.

Why was it Important? “As a literary movement, The Harlem Renaissance laid the groundwork for all later African American literature and had a significant impact on black literature and consciousness worldwide. ” - Encyclopedia Britannica

WRITERS OF THE HARLEM RENAISSANCE

Sterling A. Brown (1901 -1989) In 1918, Brown attended Williams College. While at Williams, he received the Graves Prize for his essay, "The Comic Spirit in Shakespeare and Moliére. " In 1923, he received his master's degree in English from Harvard University. His first book, Southern Road was published in 1932. Throughout many of his writings, he expressed concern about race and was influenced by the blues, jazz, work songs, and spirituals. He taught at Howard University until he retired in 1969. His second book, The Last Ride of Wild Bill was published in 1975.

Countee Cullen (19031946): Cullen began writing poetry at the age of fourteen. He began attending New York University in 1922. In 1926, he received his master's degree from Harvard University. His poems were published in such magazines as The Crisis, Opportunity, Harper's, Century Magazine, and Poetry. His poem, "Ballad of the Brown Girl" won several awards. Color was published in 1923 and Copper Sun, his second volume of poetry, was published in 1927.

Jessie Redmon Fauset (18821961): Fauset graduated from Cornell University in 1905. In 1919, she received her master's degree in French. From 1919 to 1926, she was the editor of The Crisis. Besides serving as editor, she wrote and published poetry. , she explored race in her novels, which includes There is Confusion, Plum Bun: A Novel Without a Moral, The Chinaberry Tree: A Novel of American Life, and Comedy American Style.

Langston Hughes (1902 -1967) Hughes spent a year at Columbia University, and after traveling to Europe and Africa, he finished his education at Lincoln University in Pennsylvania in 1929. His first book, The Weary Blues was published in 1926. He wrote short stories, novels, plays, and poetry. He was known for his portrayals of black life. His work had a significant impact on other contributions during the Harlem Renaissance.

Works of Art Aaron Douglas, Idylls of the Deep South, 1934 Archibald J. Motley Jr. “Saturday Night, ” William Johnson, Chain Gang Study for God's Trombones Aaron Douglas William Johnson, Farm Couple at Work