Prejudice And Stereotypes In Literature During The Harlem Renaissance

The Harlem Renaissance was a period of African American literary, intellectual, and artistic expansion which took place from the mid-1910s to the mid-1930s. During this period, African Americans sought to reform the concept of “the Negro” and instill blacks with pride of their race and heritage. Although the Harlem Renaissance did not only take place in the Harlem district of New York City, it was coined as the capital of the cultural reformation because the renaissance began in Harlem. The Harlem Renaissance occurred after the Great Migration, which began around 1910. The Great Migration refers to the large-scale migration of African Americans from the South to the North in order to escape oppression and to find better job opportunities.

A recurring theme for literature during this period was concerned with feelings of racial discrimination and animosity towards African Americans, and also showing solace and rising above this animosity. Additionally, literature promoted racial pride and Pan-Africanism and sought to break stereotypes. Authors during this era represented the “New Negro,” which referred to the concept of a well-educated and sophisticated black. Such authors included Countee Cullen and Langston Hughes, both of whom were poets during the Harlem Renaissance. However, unlike most writers, Countee Cullen’s literary works were not concerned with racial views of the time. Although the Harlem Renaissance ended in the mid-1930s due to the Great Depression, its influence continued to have a lasting impact. The Harlem Renaissance helped to shape American culture so that it was distinctly different from that of Europe. Literary, artistic, and musical works also helped to break racial stereotypes and helped minorities to escape their hardships. Literature during this period continued on to pave the way for future African American literature and changed the way that all black literature was seen by the