Impacts of the Harlem Renaissance in the 1930s The Harlem Renaissance emerged in a joyful and artistic time period, but The Depression came soon after. The Renaissance was able to help Americans get through a rough time by offering diversions. These diversions came in the form of new African American entertainment. Because of Black oppression, this style of art was new to America. The Harlem Renaissance opened the eyes of many Americans to swing, jazz, poetry, and theater. Swing and Jazz empowered many Americans during an economic depression. “The Swing Era” began in 1935, near the end of the Harlem Renaissance. It went on to strike the United States with jazzy music for about 10 years. New York was the hotspot for Jazz. It had many publishing …show more content…
African American Poetry created many opportunities for the black community to freely speak of their discrimination. Harlem was the primary neighborhood in which this cultural movement began. It was a 3 square mile neighborhood in which many talented and artistic African Americans lived (“The Harlem Renaissance”). The writers often used common English writing styles, often using a sonnet style expressing racial pride (Cullen). Many poems were also written about their discrimination, this was an easy way to show others what was truly happening, no matter how little they wanted to see it (“The Harlem Renaissance”). African Americans would often have poetry groups, though many were individual poets (Cullen). One of the most famous poets from this time period was Langston Hughes, who was born in Joplin, Missouri in 1901. His parents got divorced when he was a young child, then his father moved to Mexico, and he was raised by his grandmother. He then moved to Washington DC and wrote his first poem in 1926 called The Weary Blues. He continued to write inspiring and honest poems through The Great Depression (“About Langston