Aspects Of A Negro Life

1790 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: African American identity during the Harlem Renaissance

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...

... middle of paper ...

...oundation &Gallery. 6 March 2003 <http://www.artnoir.com/index.douglas.aaron.html>.

Bearden, Romare, and Harry Henderson. A History of African-American Artists: From 1972 to the Present. New York: Pantheon, 1993.

Campbell, Mary, David Driskell, David Levering Lewis, and Deborah Willis Ryan. Harlem Renaissance: Art of Black America. New York: Abrams, 1897.

Jacques, Geoffrey. Free Within Ourselves: The Harlem Renaissance. New York: Franklin Watts, 1996.

Stokstad, Marilyn and David Cateforis. Art History. 2nd ed. Vol. 2. Trenton: Prentice Hall, 2002.

The Harlem Renaissance. The University of Maryland, Baltimore County. 6 March 2003 <http://cgi.umbc.edu/~insttech/arthistory/harlem/>.

The American Experience: Works Progress Administration. Public Broadcasting Service. 2004 <http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/dustbowl/peopleevents/

pandeAMEX10.html>.

Show More
Related

  • Universal Health Care in Canada

    926 Words  | 2 Pages

    LaPierre, T. A. (2012). Comparing the Canadian and US Systems of Health Care in an Era of Health Care Reform. Journal of Health Care Finance, 38(4), 1-18.

    Read More

  • Harlem Renaissance and Jessie Redmon Fauset

    728 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Harlem Renaissance was a cultural movement of blacks that helped changed their identity. Creative expression flourished because it was the only chance blacks had to express themselves in any way and be taken seriously. World War I and the need for workers up North were a few pull factors for the migration and eventually the Renaissance. A push was the growing discrimination and danger blacks were being faced with in the southern cities. When blacks migrated they saw the opportunity to express themselves in ways they hadn’t been able to do down south. While the Harlem Renaissance taught blacks about their heritage and whites the heritage of others, there were also negative effects. The blacks up North were having the time of their lives, being mostly free from discrimination and racism but down South the KKK was at its peak and blacks that didn’t have the opportunities to migrate experienced fatal hatred and discrimination.

    Read More

  • Aaron Douglas, The New Negro Movements

    1068 Words  | 3 Pages

    beautiful works of art. Douglas reached Harlem and instantly fell in love with the culture and

    Read More

  • The First World War

    878 Words  | 2 Pages

    ... met Sydney Percival Swan who she later married. He was a returned serviceman of Albion, was in France in 1922 due to serving with 21 Howitzer Brigade and he also was the manager of Burns Philip’s Northern Queensland branch. In 1936 Trestrail and her family moved to Roseville in Sydney. War then broke out again in 1939 and Trestrail trained women of the Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD). Sister Trestrail died in New South Wales in September 1960 of old age.

    Read More

  • The Harlem Renaissance

    1572 Words  | 4 Pages

    Occurring in the 1920’s and into the 1930’s, the Harlem Renaissance was an important movement for African-Americans all across America. This movement allowed the black culture to be heard and accepted by white citizens. The movement was expressed through art, music, and literature. These things were also the most known, and remembered things of the renaissance. Also this movement, because of some very strong, moving and inspiring people changed political views for African-Americans. Compared to before, The Harlem Renaissance had major effects on America during and after its time.

    Read More

  • Nathan Irvin Huggins: Culture And Identity Crisis In The Harlem Renaissance

    1665 Words  | 4 Pages

    During and after World War One , the Great Migration caused many African Americans to move from rural areas of the country to the northern states. Many people flocked to Harlem, New York in hopes that they too would become a part of the culture phenomenon taking place. This culture boom became known as The Harlem Renaissance. The Harlem Renaissance was an influential movement that “kindled a new black culture identity “(History.com). With the turning of the age it seemed the perfect opportunity for Afro- Americans to create a new identity.

    Read More

  • Race and Society in Jean Toomer's Cane

    1900 Words  | 4 Pages

    The Harlem Renaissance was an intellectual and literary period of growth promoting a new African American cultural identity in the United States. The decade between 1920 and 1930 was an extremely influential span of time for the Black culture. During these years Blacks were able to come together and form a united group that expressed a desire for enlightenment. This renaissance allowed Blacks to have a uniform voice in a society based upon intellectual growth. The front-runners of this revival were extremely focused on cultural growth through means of intellect, literature, art and music. By using these means of growth, they hoped to destroy the pervading racism and stereotypes suffocating the African American society and yearned for racial and social integration. Many Black writers spoke out during this span of time with books proving their natural humanity and desire for equality.

    Read More

  • Case Analysis Of Amazon

    1837 Words  | 4 Pages

    Amazon.com’s US operation business model is based on “sell all, carry few”. Amazon offers consumers a wide selection of products while keeping inventories at low levels. A major interest for Amazon in the US is optimization of netwo...

    Read More

  • The Linddy Hop Analysis

    1636 Words  | 4 Pages

    There were many types of artists represented during the Renaissance, including musicians, poets, playwrights and visual artists. The artists’ works showed the multiple variations an African American society, as works depicted differences in their social classes, where they lived, and even gender (Stuart, A. 40). The relationship that the Renaissance had with larger conceptions of the American experience was its national expansion and a direct corollary between the rise of artists and and the rise of African American society as a whole. Using art an everlasting form of expression of power and freedom, black artists were able to portray their representation of black life, in an honest way, for one of the first times in American history. African Americans soon had a larger voice in social and political matters, with Harlem representing a city of transformation and progress. Through its roots in Harlem, New York, the upward African American movement was able to move to other American cities, such as Chicago and Boston, and eventually, to European cities such as London and Paris, eventually even reaching

    Read More

  • Canadian Primary Health Care

    3417 Words  | 7 Pages

    Makarenko, J. (2007, April 1). Romanow Commission on the Future of Health Care: Findings and Recommendations | Mapleleafweb.com. Mapleleafweb.com | Canada's Premier Political Education Website!. Retrieved January 26, 2011, from http://www.mapleleafweb.com/features/romanow-commission-future-health-care-findings-and-recommendations

    Read More

  • Who Rules America: Wealth Distribution

    616 Words  | 2 Pages

    Let's take it back to the past in regards to wealth distribution in this country. The fact is that the economy boomed from the end of WWII into the 1970's. “Incomes grew rapidly and at roughly the same rate up and down the income ladder, roughly doubling in inflation-adjusted terms between the late 1940s and early 1970s” (CBPP). Through the 70's economic growth slowed, and the wealth gap widened. Middle-class families were now considered lower class. People relied on the government to help them out with welfare programs. The middle-class class was weakened and the gap grew and grew. There were periods of positive fluctuation, however the middle-class simply never regained it's status that was held in more prosperous times in the past.

    Read More

  • The Negative Impacts of the Harlem Renaissance

    1138 Words  | 3 Pages

    ... The Harlem Renaissance was a time of growth and development for African-Americans. They wrote novels, performed in clubs, and created the genre of Jazz. However, the Renaissance was imprisoned by its flaws. Rather than celebrating the unique culture of African-American’s, it oftentimes caters to what the White Americans would want to see and hear.

    Read More

  • The Harlem Renaissance

    1171 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Harlem Renaissance refers to a prolific period of unique works of African-American expression from about the end of World War I to the beginning of the Great Depression. Although it is most commonly associated with the literary works produced during those years, the Harlem Renaissance was much more than a literary movement; similarly, it was not simply a reaction against and criticism of racism. The Harlem Renaissance inspired, cultivated, and, most importantly, legitimated the very idea of an African-American cultural consciousness. Concerned with a wide range of issues and possessing different interpretations and solutions of these issues affecting the Black population, the writers, artists, performers and musicians of the Harlem Renaissance had one important commonality: "they dealt with Black life from a Black perspective." This included the use of Black folklore in fiction, the use of African-inspired iconography in visual arts, and the introduction of jazz to the North.[i] In order to fully understand the lasting legacies of the Harlem Renaissance, it is important to examine the key events that led to its beginnings as well as the diversity of influences that flourished during its time.

    Read More

  • Income Inequality

    939 Words  | 2 Pages

    Income inequality has affected American citizens ever since the American Dream came to existence. The American Dream is centered around the concept of working hard and earning enough money to support a family, own a home, send children to college, and invest for retirement. Economic gains in income are one of the only possible ways to achieve enough wealth to fulfill the dream. Unfortunately, many people cannot achieve this dream due to low income. Income inequality refers to the uneven distribution of income and wealth between the social classes of American citizens. The United States has often experienced a rise in inequality as the rich become richer and the poor become poorer, increasing the unstable gap between the two classes. The income gap in America has been increasing steadily since the late 1970’s, and has now reached historic highs not seen since the 1920’s (Desilver). UC Berkeley economics professor, Emmanuel Saez conducted extensive research on past and present income inequality statistics and published them in his report “Striking it Richer.” Saez claims that changes in technology, tax policies, labor unions, corporate benefits, and social norms have caused income inequality. He stands to advocate a change in American economic policies that will help close this inequality gap and considers institutional and tax reforms that should be developed to counter it. Although Saez’s provides legitimate causes of income inequality, I highly disagree with the thought of making changes to end income inequality. In any diverse economic environment, income inequality will exist due to the rise of some economically successful people and the further development of factors that push people into poverty. I believe income inequality e...

    Read More

  • Amazon Case Study

    1751 Words  | 4 Pages

    Since the creation of Amazon in 1995, it has been a reference of adopting a successful strategy which has preserved over time; being the largest online store in the world nowadays. In addition, i...

    Read More

More about Aspects Of A Negro Life

Open Document