Harlem Renaissance Research Paper

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The 1920’s, also known as the Roaring 20’s, was a time of cultural rebirth. World War I had ended, jobs sprang up all over the U.S. and people migrated into the cities, and started an urban life. One very impactful movement during this time was the Harlem Renaissance. In Harlem, north of Manhattan, African Americans from the south moved to the north to work in factories (Hall). It was known as “The Great Migration” (Brown). These African Americans were forced to settle in segregated housing during a time in history when they thought their voices were not being heard (Brown). But together, they started a movement that changed history. *The Harlem Renaissance changed the culture of America, specifically impacting music and literature for decades …show more content…

African Americans who moved to Harlem were astounded and inspired by the amount of people moving in to the city. Writer Langston Hughes once said, “Harlem was like a great magnet for the Negro intellectual…they began writing with a bold new voice about what it meant to be a black American,” (Brown). Hughes, the most famous poet of this time period, wrote to inspire the African Americans. His poems attracted many African Americans, but it also got the attention of publishers, and eventually all Americans, regardless of race began reading them too (“Harlem …show more content…

With the financial crisis, the Harlem Renaissance period declined (Stevenson). People couldn’t give money to help the artists and many weren’t interested in buying the books or going to listen to the music. With all of their own financial problems, people lost interest in promoting the African American artists. Even though the impact of this period could not be seen immediately, it did have an effect on the years to come. What it did establish was “Black Pride” (Stevenson). This pride inspired authors, such as James Baldwin, in the years to come to write more about the African American experience. This period in the 20’s also inspired famous activist Martin Luther King to speak to America about needed change in society, a change that took decade to

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