Harlem Renaissance1
The dawn of the 1920's ushered in an African American artistic and cultural movement, the likes of which have never and will likely never be seen again. Beginning as a series of literary discussions in Greenwich Village and Harlem, the "New Negro Movement" (later dubbed the Harlem Renaissance by Alain Locke) came to exalt the unique culture of African Americans and redefine African American expression. The movement spread throughout all areas of the arts and humanities, gaining a wider audience as it went along. Soon it became more than just an artistic movement, it was at the same time a social ideal. The authors and artists of the era simultaneously struggled with and embraced their African heritage and American birth and lifestyle. The arts became a means of rebellion against the racism running rampant through the south, as well as a way for African Americans to finally prove they had their foot in the door of American (especially elitist) culture. The Beginning After years of unfair treatment and humiliation, black people from the South started a migration northwards. Large metropolitan cities such as Washington D.C., Chicago, and New York City became hubs of creat
The Harlem Renaissance was a flowering of literature, and to a lesser extent, other arts, in New York City during the 1920s and 1930s. It has long been considered by many to be the high point in African American writing. Although the Renaissance was not a school, nor did the writers associated with it share a common purpose, as was the case with Locke and Dubois, nevertheless they had a common bond: they dealt with African American life from an African American perspective. The Harlem Renaissance transformed African-American identity and history, but it also transformed American culture in general. Never before had so many Americans read the thoughts of African-Americans and embraced the African-American community's productions, expressions, and style. Themes and Styles The theme of alienation ran rampant through the works of the greats listed above as well as most of the other authors and artists of the time. After living so long as no-class and sub-human in the South, blacks in the south took time to gain footing in the North, perhaps not yet sure of their surroundings. They continued to write with the sorrow of slave songs, the structure of native African folktales, and the movement of blues music. Poetry and prose explored, perhaps more in depth than ever before, the past of African Americans, from their African roots, to slavery, to present times. What was taboo before, the Black man, was suddenly chic, exotic, all the rage. From this came the racial pride that Dubois called for so many times. Literature, jazz and blues music, and visual arts all began to mesh and have similar characteristics. They all seemed to tell a story, or hold a conversation. It was as if the people were expressing their newfound vocalism any way
Some common words found in the essay are:
Alain Locke, African American, South Locke, WEB Dubois, African Americans, Americans African, Themes Styles, Negro Increased, Harlem Renaissance, Black Folk, african american, african americans, harlem renaissance, alain locke, negro movement, countee cullen, racial pride, lesser extent, york city, locke believed,
Approximate Word count = 1178
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)
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