The Harlem Renaissance was the explosion of African-American culture in the borough of Harlem, New York in the 1920s. After World World I, many African-Americans moved to the northern United States to seek factory jobs and to escape the Jim Crow laws of the South. During this diaspora, predominantly African-American communities began to emerge in the Northeast and Midwest, with the most well-known being Harlem. Harlem became known as the mecca of black culture with notable musicians, artists, and writers, such as Langston Hughes and Bessie Smith, calling the city home. This rebirth of African-American culture also created a platform for political and social change. Not only did many of the artists challenge racism and stereotypes in their works, but political organizations, such as the NAACP and UNIA, were formed. By developing their own cultural center, …show more content…
Overall, I think the Harlem Renaissance was crucial in changing how other races perceived African-Americans and their culture and subsequently, spurring the fight for equality. Although slavery had been declared unconstitutional nearly forty years prior, African-Americans were trying to reestablish their culture that had been forcefully fragmented and racial tensions were still extremely high. The Harlem Renaissance enabled African-Americans to congregate and therefore, combat racism on a communal and systemic level. African-American music, art, and literature were brought to the forefront, which finally allowed whites and other races to acknowledge the beauty of black culture. That being said, I wish the videos addressed the point that