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Harlem Renaissance: Social Change Through the Arts
The Oxford Dictionary elucidates a Renaissance as “a revival of art and literature under the influence of classical models throughout the period.” The Harlem Renaissance took place in New York, it was a period of cultural celebration where African Americans moved up North and found opportunities to express themselves through the arts. Not only was their self-expression broadcasted as entertainment, but as well as a civil rights movement. As African Americans were still fighting for their recognition and rights in America, they wanted to white America what they were capable of. With that, society was forced to change it’s conceptions of African Americans. This lead to the Renaissance being
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a phenomenal and inspiring cultural awakening for African Americans which lead to a social change.
The Harlem Renaissance was a time where the innovation of arts, literature, and music were important key factors that guided African Americans through their cultural awakening.
To begin with, during the 1800s and Harlem Renaissance, art was one way to get the messages of social change across society. To start off, Thomas Wedgwood’s artwork “Am I Not A Man and A Brother”, which was created during slavery for abolitionists, symbolizes a constitutional issue regarding themselves in an artistic form. The artwork illustrates an image with an African American man, kneeling, with his hands chained while they were raised. Wedgwood purposely stressed the importance of equality between African Americans and White Americans . This idea of equality was a key concept during the Harlem Renaissance. Furthermore, influential artist, Aaron Douglas, had created an inspiring piece called "Aspiration" during slavery. It represents the struggle of
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slavery, but also the inspirational hope that arose from it. As the art is displayed, there are three main figures with many chained figures below, gazing to the top of the mountain. The colors are a mix of dark and light colors and from it comes a star that fades to the edges of the artwork. As demonstrated, Aspiration drives the African Americans harsh conditions into a positive motivation. Leading to most of the vibes and opinions felt through the Renaissances. Lastly, Lois Mailou Jones’ art, African Masks, beautifully detected the emotion an African American would feel during this time period. To describe, the art showed a variety of emotions, both positive and negative that were placed on masks. Unlike the other examples, this art forwardly shows the emotional energy that might have been in play with the African Americans. This art gave its audience a general picture of what people felt about the change. Indeed, art was a way social change was expressed through the Renaissance, however, it is not the only one. In addition, literature was also an important aspect towards social change for African American. To start off, the poem I, Too by Langston Hughes, a famous writer during the Renaissance, has a great balance between a poetic style and the desire needs of his audience. He states, “I am the darker brother / They send me to eat in the kitchen / When company comes / But I laugh / And eat well and grow strong / Tomorrow / I’ll be at the table / When company comes / Nobody’ll dare” (Hughes). Hughes' writing shows that African Americans have the right to have patriotic sense even though they are black. When he states, “ Tomorrow, I’ll be at the table / When company comes” it gives his audience an optimistic outlook into the future and also gives a new social outlook where all races have the same rights and are equal. The next example is Zora Neale Hurston, an African American novelist and anthropologist, whose book Their Eyes Were Watching God gave subjective traditions from African Americans. To demonstrate, “Besides she liked being lonesome for a change. This freedom feeling was fine” (Hurston). Although a dialogue was not a part of the quote, Hurston, unlike many others, didn’t try to hide any of her knowledge towards African Americans. She wrote her book with her culture’s dialect and their narrative. Some critics argue that Hurston’s book Did not hold any influence to social change during the Renaissance. However, the moral and complexity in the book demonstrated the life of an African American leading to the social change toward independence and African Americans individualism. Ultimately, literature was a way to motivate social change during the Harlem Renaissance. To end, music was another encouraging concept towards social change.
To start, “Holiday in Harlem” by Chick Webb, a famous jazz a swing drummer, shows the idea of Harlem from it’s upbeat tune and lyrics. For illustrate, “Music music everywhere / Happiness is in the air / Not a soul has got a care / Holiday in Harlem” (Webb). To extend on this, Harlem was a time where Africans Americans were more open to express themselves after the transition from slavery to freedom. With this, came independence and happiness that they didn’t have during slavery, and Webb’s music ideally supports this. Pursuing this further, “In A Sentimental Mood” by Duke Ellington, a legendary jazz leader, offers the ideal traditions of jazz during the Renaissances. To include, “My heart's a lighter thing / Since you made this night a thing divine / In a sentimental mood / I'm within a world so heavenly / For I never dreamt that you'd / Be loving sentimental me” (Ellington). Ellington here takes the traditional route of a jazz song. The song has a slow tempo and drives emotion through every beat. This style was more sought out since the freedom of expression were easily presentable. Overall, music was another way for African Americans to express themselves towards the social
change. Overall, the Harlem Renaissance was when art, literature and music marked a time where African Americans lifestyle help institute their representation in their culture. All of this lead to a social change throughout society. These expressions were driven by their new freedom and independence. Nevertheless, the Harlem Renaissance's was the start of when all people took African American art seriously and to a new appreciation. Grabbing the attention of all people nationwide. Work Cited: Web. 2 Mar. 2017. Oxford Dictionary Hurston, Zora Neale. Their Eyes Were Watching God. London: Virago, 2010. Print. Hughes, Langston, Arnold Rampersad, Dolan Hubbard, and Leslie Catherine Sanders. The Collected Works of Langston Hughes. Columbia: U of Missouri, 2001. Print. Nardewww. "Duke Ellington & John Coltrane - In a Sentimental Mood." YouTube. YouTube, 16 July 2009. Web. 02 Mar. 2017. Cdbpdx. "HOLIDAY IN HARLEM by Chick Webb and His Orchestra with Ella Fitzgerald 1937. " YouTube. YouTube, 23 Jan. 2010. Web. 02 Mar. 2017.
The Harlem Renaissance is a term used to describe the expansion and development of African American culture and history, particularly in Harlem. It is believed to have started around 1919, after World War I, and ended around the time of the great depression. During this time period African Americans writers, artists, musicians, and poets all gathered in Harlem and created a center for African American culture.
According to www.PBS.org The Harlem Renaissance was a name given to the cultural, social, and artistic explosion that took place in Harlem between the end of World War I and the middle of the 1930s. During this period Harlem was a cultural center, drawing black writers, artists, musicians, photographers, poets, and scholars. Many had come from the South, fleeing its oppressive caste system in order to find a place where they could freely express their talents. The Renaissance was more than a literary movement: It involved racial pride, fueled in part by the militancy of the "New Negro" demanding civil and political rights.
An era of written and artistic creativity among African Americans that occurred after World War I, and lasted until the middle of the 1930’s depression; This is the definition that you would probably get for the Harlem Renaissance if you looked it up in a book, but the Harlem Renaissance was much more than that. The Harlem Renaissance was an expression of redefined African Americans who felt a sense of self-pride, and promoted the celebration of their African American herita...
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.
The Harlem Renaissance is the name given to a period at the end of World War I through the mid-30s, in which a group of talented African-Americans managed to produce outstanding work through a cultural, social, and artistic explosion. Also known as the New Negro Movement. It is one of the greatest periods of cultural and intellectual development of a population historically repressed. The Harlem Renaissance was the rebirth of art in the African-American community mostly centering in Harlem, New York, during the 1920s. Jazz, literature, and painting emphasized significantly between the artistic creations of the main components of this impressive movement. It was in this time of great
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.
The Harlem Renaissance was a time of racism, injustice, and importance. Somewhere in between the 1920s and 1930s an African American movement occurred in Harlem, New York City. The Harlem Renaissance exalted the unique culture of African-Americans and redefined African-American expression. It was the result of Blacks migrating in the North, mostly Chicago and New York. There were many significant figures, both male and female, that had taken part in the Harlem Renaissance. Ida B. Wells and Langston Hughes exemplify the like and work of this movement.
The Harlem Renaissance was a cultural revolution that happened mainly in Harlem, New York but also in other parts of America. The Harlem Renaissance took place from 1918 until 1937. The Harlem Renaissance was never about a single entity or event but the gathering of the best and brightest minds around the America. These great minds helped create one of the biggest cultural movements in American history. The work contributed during the renaissance helped future African American artist in the future. Many historians contribute the Harlem Renaissance to the beginning of the civil rights movement.
All in all, the Harlem Renaissance was a black cultural movement that took place in the North, particularly in Harlem. Many African Americans stood out including Langston Hughes, Marcus Garvey, and W.E.B. Du Bois. They were all different kinds of artists who were a part of the Great Migration. These artists traveled from the South and other parts if the world to the North because of the increase in black population and culture. Each one of them made a large impact on the Harlem Renaissance and changed black culture forever.
The Roaring Twenties a period when a dramatic social and political change happened. Researching about Harlem was learning about how the people contributed more the music to America’s New Urban Culture. The Harlem Renaissance was a significant movement during the 1920s were African American artists were brought together, explored what it means to be an artist, what it is to create art and literature, as well as what it means to be a proud African American in a community, that influence each to stand-up together in a white-dominant culture, furthermore Harlem was a hotbed of political, cultural and social activity. While researching about the 1920’s, I found out so
Many jazz artists as we know it are quite talented. Their talents are unique in that they can translate human emotion through singing or playing their instruments. Many have the ability to reach and touch people’s souls through their amazing gifts. Although this art of turning notes and lyrics into emotional imagery may somewhat come natural, the audience must wonder where their influence comes from. For Billie Holiday, her career was highly influenced by personal experience, the effects of the Great Depression, and the racial challenges of African Americans during her time.
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.
The Harlem Renaissance was a period of great rebirth for African American people and according to the online encyclopedia Wikipedia, the “Harlem Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned the 1920s and 1930s.” Wikipedia also indicates that it was also known as the “Negro Movement, named after the 1925 Anthology by Alan Locke.” Blacks from all over America and the Caribbean and flocked to Harlem, New York. Harlem became a sort of “melting pot” for Black America. Writers, artists, poets, musicians and dancers converged there spanning a renaissance. The Harlem Renaissance was also one of the most important chapters in the era of African American literature. This literary period gave way to a new type of writing style. This style is known as “creative literature.” Creative literature enabled writers to express their thoughts and feelings about various issues that were of importance to African Americans. These issues include racism, gender and identity, and others that we...
... 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.
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.