Aspects Of A Negro Life

Aspects Of A Negro Life

Through his political activism and his artwork, Douglas dramatically changed the way other artists viewed African Americans. Politically, he helped found and served as president for the activist organization that drastically assisted with employing thousands of artists.

he 1920s and 1930s brought drastic changes to the lives of many African Americans. Geographically, they migrated toward the urban, industrialized North, not only to escape racial prejudices and economic hardships, but also to attain higher social and economic status. This “Great Migration” transformed the streets of Harlem, New York, and gave rise to cultural changes of the New Negro movement. As this movement gradually gained popularity, it became known as the Harlem Renaissance, an era that dramatically increased the awareness of Black art and culture (Stokstad 1112). The Harlem Renaissance was founded on the ideals of racial pride, social power, and the importance of African culture. African Americans were encouraged to revisit their racial heritage, resulting in African American history and culture being represented and celebrated through the arts. The entire movement “challenged the existing debased and caricaturized representations of Blacks in art” (Harlem).

Many great artists contributed to the impact of the Harlem Renaissance on American culture. Specifically, Aaron Douglas was politically active through the Harlem Artist Guild. As the organizations’ first president, he worked with developing artists to help them attain employment. Douglas was also the first modern Black artist to use traditional African roots in his works, as opposed to mimicking the artistic ideas of white Americans and Europeans. In his mural Aspe...

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