African American Dream: Harlem In The 1920's

Harlem in the 1920s became every African American’s dream. It was flourished with vibrant energy of music, dancing and laughter. It was a haven away from the real world of racism. Harlem was known for jazz music, cabarets, and freedom. It sounded like the perfect place. Everyone was happy and living life the way they wanted to. Most people in Harlem spent their nights in cabarets dancing and singing along to the jazz music being played. The burgeoning of African American culture grew even more when poets merged into the Harlem Renaissance. Harlem, for many people, “evoked images of ‘hot, throbbing jazz’ of ‘happy go-lucky negroes’ rubbing shoulders with ‘angry black poets’” (Greenberg 13). The Harlem Renaissance was a time of rebellion. The poets wrote about

For African Americans, Harlem opened up several opportunities for places to live and job opportunities. Outside of Harlem, African American’s struggled to find jobs and places to live. Some whites would not hire an African American, or they would only pay them half of what a white person would receive. Even though it was small compared to other big cities, “Harlem for blacks, like New York for whites, was synonymous with opportunity” (Greenberg 13). Harlem gave African Americans a place where they could find a job a home without being judged for their color. They didn't have any limits when living in Harlem. Poets could write and be noticed no matter what color they were, and Jazz players could play where and when they wanted. Harlem had a dual perception which most people didn’t realize. Although Harlem was a dream to most African Americans, there were many downfalls. Harlem was highly subject to poverty and crime. Even though there was housing, the living conditions were rough. Settlement houses were created to provide more available homes. There were ways people could escape poverty while living in Harlem and that was through the