What Is the Harlem Renaissance, and What Effects Did It Have On Society?

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What is the Harlem Renaissance, and what effects did it have on society? "Harlem was like a great magnet for the Negro intellectual, pulling him from everywhere. Or perhaps the magnet was New York, but once in New York, he had to live in Harlem"(Hughes, The Big Sea 1940). When one is describing a “fresh and brilliant portrait of African American art and culture in the 1920s (Rampersad 1994),” the Harlem Renaissance would be the most precise postulation. The Harlem Renaissance proved to America that African Americans also have specialized talents and should also be able to exhibit their gifts. The Harlem Renaissance also obtained the notoriety expeditiously that participants of this movement needed to modify America’s perspective of black environments. To sum up, the Harlem Renaissance “New Negro Movement” was a cultural movement that celebrated black life and culture. This movement assisted in gaining a new significance and vigorous race relation in the United States; it awakened black communities all over the world-- especially Harlem to utilize their gifts and talents and make the best of it. Initially, the “Harlem Renaissance derives from the fact that Harlem served as a symbolic capital of the cultural awakening-- a dynamic crucible of cultural cross-fertilization. Harlem was moderately a new black neighborhood in New York City, NY at the time and was already becoming (virtually) a black city that attracted a remarkable concentration of intellect and talent. In addition, Harlem was more “liberal” in matters of race than most American cities (although, of course, racism was rampant), New York had an extraordinarily diverse and centered black social world in which no one group could monopolize cultural authority, making it ... ... middle of paper ... ...o have specialized talents and should also be able to exhibit their gifts. The Harlem Renaissance obtained the notoriety expeditiously that participants of this movement needed to modify America’s perspective of black environments. The Harlem Renaissance will have a lifelong impact on America—with a legacy that lives on forever. Works Cited Armstrong, Stephen. Student Handbook: 4: 5 Steps to a 5. New York: Southwestern Co, 2004. 1389-257. "Harlem Renaissance." International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. 23 Apr. 2012 “Langston Hughes, The Big Sea, 1940” United States History: Reconstruction to the Present. Boston, Mass: Pearson / Prentice Hall, 2009. 927-354, 357, and 358. United States History: Reconstruction to the Present. Boston, Mass: Pearson / Prentice Hall, 2009. 927-354, 357, and 358.

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