The Heart of Harlem The Harlem neighborhood in New York City was the home of two legendary party spots during the Harlem Renaissance. The two places included the Cotton Club and the Savoy Ballroom, they were both very diverse and festive. The Cotton Club opened in 1923 and the Savoy Ballroom opened in 1926. The venues were both located on the same street in Harlem, Lenox Avenue. The two nightspots influenced and changed African American culture which impacted America greatly. The Harlem Renaissance is an important time in America’s history, it changed America in many ways. The Harlem Renaissance took place during the 1920s up until the mid 1930s. The renaissance was a literary, artistic, and creative movement that helped redefine African American culture. The Harlem Renaissance inspired new music, art, and literature that reinvented African American culture. The renaissance also influenced the Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s and 1960s. The main goal of the Civil Rights Movement was to end racial segregation and discrimination towards African Americans. The Movement was also enacted to defend legal acceptance and to protect citizenship rights created in the U.S. Constitution. The Harlem Renaissance set the stage for these influences and changes in America. The venue originally …show more content…
The owner, Owney Madden changed the venue in many ways so that he could meet his protocol. For example, the video about the Cotton Club explains Madden’s main for the club which was, “to reflect a stylish ‘plantation environment’ to cater to the upper-class white patrons” (The Cotton Club: History, Performers & Harlem Renaissance, n.d). During that time the club also became a popular speakeasy, which was a place where alcohol was sold illegally. The club opened during the prohibition in America which lasted for about thirteen years. The Cotton Club was a place where people could listen to the best artists and