The Harlem Renaissance Northern Migration 1910 1920 Hundreds

The Harlem Renaissance

Northern Migration • 1910 -1920: Hundreds of thousands of African Americans move away from the South • Many Northerners not happy • Series of race riots in the U. S. • 1920’s: 40% of African Americans now live in cities

NAACP • National Association for the Advancement of Colored People • Founded in 1909 • Fought for equal rights, protections for African Americans • Led by James Weldon Johnson

James Weldon Johnson

Marcus Garvey • Immigrant from Jamaica • Believed in a separate society for African Americans • Considered a radical • Founds Universal Negro Improvement Association in 1918

Marcus Garvey • Garvey is a separatist • Believes African Americans should return to Africa • Fight White Colonial oppressors

African American Writers • Harlem Renaissance: Literary movement led by Middle Class, well educated African Americans. • Celebrated heritage and culture • Wrote about being black in a white world

Claude Mc. Kay • Jamaican immigrant • Poet and novelist • Urged people to resist prejudice

Langston Hughes

Langston Hughes • Born in Missouri • Best known poet of his era • Wrote about life as a working class African American • Poems often had rhythm of jazz songs • Beginnings of beat poetry and rap • Early spoken word

Performing Arts • More and more stars on Broadway • Paul Robeson • Josephine Baker • Jazz • Louis Armstrong, Bessie Smith, Duke Ellington

Paul Robeson

Josephine Baker

Duke Ellington

Louis Armstrong