The Harlem Renaissance: Not Just the Black Jazz Age
New York City, famously known as the city of dreams even before the Alicia Keys song. For the black communities of the 20’s, they found refuge in the back streets of Harlem, New York from the harsh reality of segregated America. Here, famous artists, musicians, and authors started a black pride culture phenomenon called today the Harlem Renaissance. The Harlem Renaissance was a cultural movement of racial pride influenced by history, literature, and the culture of the era. The history of institutional racism dates all the way back to the very beginning of Colonel America. Jamestown Virginia farmer John Rolfe discovered the first american cash crop- tobacco which was ideal
…show more content…
For the authors of the Harlem Renaissance they lived their entire lives subjected to racial oppression. From being educated in the segregated schools to being restricted on where they could and couldn’t fight during World War I the literary giants were shaped by racism in America (Shmoop). This exposure to such deep institutional racism influenced literature themes. Through novels and poems literature delve deep into the problems of racism and racial pride. From the great migration former slaves were able to find communities in the big cities. There they built a common understanding and pride(BOOK). The people of the Harlem Renaissance were for the first time in their lives surrounded by people just like them who were growing and succeeding in way African Americans were never allowed to previously. As seen in books such as “The Conjure Man Dies” by Randolph Fisher the two main characters were a black detective and a black doctor. Books that featured strong African American characters that people could identify with (Fisher). These books also inspired people to not let their race define them which was not something African Americans were able to do before this …show more content…
Most notably the generation of the Harlem Renaissance was the creators of modern jazz. Musicians such as Aaron Douglas, Duke Ellington and Bessie Smith produced music that influences even today’s top charts. The popular blues and vocals that filled famous speakeasies such as the cotton club and the dark tower were popular within the African American community. Much like literature of this time era the music reflected the struggles of black oppression and segregation. The universal themes were identifiable with the blacks of the country which made jazz even more popular. Through the iconic music the generation developed an identity of proud African American Peoples who were unashamed of their heritage and ready to diversify the