ipl-logo

Summary Of The Book When Harlem Was In Vogue

1445 Words6 Pages

Dawkins 1 Deja Dawkins Dr. Edward Lee History 212 28 February 2016 Lewis David L. When Harlem Was in Vogue. New York: K, 1981. Print. Oxford paperbacks; Oxford paperbacks. The Book “When Harlem Was In Vogue” explains how African Americans had to face the harsh reality of oppression in America once World war I ended. During the war, American African hero where greatly appreciated for courageous deeds while serving the Military. After the war, African American veterans had to create a renaissance era help narrow minded Americans recognize black culture. “The faults of our country are our faults. Under similar circumstances, we would fight again. But by God of heaven, we are cowards and jackasses if now that the war is over we do not marshal every …show more content…

Even though the use of intellect was the weapon of choice, it still could not combat the unwilling racist tactics like lynching, beating, and committing unlawful acts against African Americans. David L Lewis mentioned the Great Depression as only representing a portion regarding the downfall of the Harlem renaissance. The exclusion to economic affairs contributed a much greater issue to the black renaissance era. “It is white labor that deprives the Negro of his right to vote, denies him education, denies him affiliation with trade unions, expels him from decent houses and neighborhoods, and heaps upon him the public insults of open color discrimination” (Lewis 286). Even though the depression affected Harlem seriously, the true soul of Harlem did not die. Throughout the book David Lewis explained how creativity, achievements, and black history of the Harlem renaissance would not die immediately. Mr. Lewis explained that the Great Depression was something Caucasians where introduced to. While on the other hand, African Americans lived through a much worst depression every day. Dawkins 3 Lewis reveals that it was not only depression that diminished the Harlem Renaissance, but also tactics of oppression and manmade attacks to destroy a thriving …show more content…

The weakness for me as woman would be the small amount of women represented in the book. I feel as though women played a tremendous part if not more. Women in the Harlem Renaissance played a vital role as the voice for the struggling minority of African American women. African American women utilized the movement to express their views on race and gender relations. To overcome obstacles as a black man was one thing but to do it as being a woman and being black was phenomenal during that time. “They had caught a Negro and deliberately held him as one would a beef for slaughter, and when they had conveniently adjusted him for lynching they shot him. I heard him groaning in his struggle as I hurried away as fast as I could without running, expecting every moment to be lynched myself” (Lewis19). Mr. Lewis's scholarship wonderful style of writing puts forth a rough, honest view of the series of events. His descriptions of Harlem are enlightening, and he strikes a wonderful balance between providing detail and making a point. His biographical pieces gave background on the key Renaissance figures are filled with lively writing. The fact many other literary writers try to deny the significance of The

Show More
Related
208 Words | 1 Pages

In the beginning of chapter 5, the author talks about how the things that revolved around him was school and church. Outside school and church there were the endless street games on 122nd street. The block was safe to play on under the watch of housewives. Plus on page 39, Walter and his friend decided to hang Richard Aisles. Fortunately, the pastor came there and stopped the whole thing.

Read More
793 Words | 4 Pages

“The black family in the age of mass incarceration,” author Ta-Nehisi Coates toss back on the attempt of “The Negros family”, report by the American politician and sociologist Daniel Patrick Moynihan’s have benefactor to reduce America’s mass detainment, bringing about a country with the world’s biggest jail populace and the largest rate of detainment. In this article, he explained about the difficulties of black families about the racism that have continually arisen in times gone by to present day. Moynihan, who was brought up from a broken home and pathological family, had polite intrusion when he wrote the article “The Negros family.” His article argued that the government has disparaged the damage caused to the black family from past few centuries.

Read More
703 Words | 3 Pages

The Harlem Renaissance would not have been possible if it weren't for the “Great Migration”. The great migration

Read More
700 Words | 3 Pages

Quote 1: “The public defender, trying to get him off, called him a dumb animal,” I told her. “He said it would be like tying a hog down in that chair and executing him-an animal that didn’t know what any of it was all about. The jury, twelve white men good and true still sentenced him to death.” (26) My Response: This quote is significant because it is a representation that times have not changed.

Read More
491 Words | 2 Pages

Although slavery was declared over after the passing of the thirteenth amendment, African Americans were not being treated with the respect or equality they deserved. Socially, politically and economically, African American people were not being given equal opportunities as white people. They had certain laws directed at them, which held them back from being equal to their white peers. They also had certain requirements, making it difficult for many African Americans to participate in the opportunity to vote for government leaders. Although they were freed from slavery, there was still a long way to go for equality through America’s reconstruction plan.

Read More
802 Words | 4 Pages

The Harlem Renaissance was a period in American history, which occurred in the 1920s in Harlem, New York. The cultural movement was an opportunity for African Americans to celebrate their heritage through intellectual and artistic works. Langston Hughes, a famous poet, was a product of the Harlem Renaissance. One notable piece of literature by Hughes is “Dream Deferred”. However, the discussion of African American culture isn’t limited to the 1920s.

Read More
814 Words | 4 Pages

In the 1700-1800’s, the use of African American slaves for backbreaking, unpaid work was at its prime. Despite the terrible conditions that slaves were forced to deal with, slave owners managed to convince themselves and others that it was not the abhorrent work it was thought to be. However, in the mid-1800’s, Northern and southern Americans were becoming more aware of the trauma that slaves were facing in the South. Soon, an abolitionist group began in protest, but still people doubted and questioned it.

Read More
1645 Words | 7 Pages

The Harlem Renaissance was a black literary and art movement that began in Harlem, New York. Migrants from the South came to Harlem with new ideas and a new type of music called Jazz. Harlem welcomed many African Americans who were talented. Writers in the Harlem Renaissance had separated themselves from the isolated white writers which made up the “lost generation” The formation of a new African American cultural identity is what made the Harlem Renaissance and the Lost Generation unique in American culture because it influenced white literacy and it was a sense of freedom for African Americans.

Read More
1236 Words | 5 Pages

African Americans face a struggle with racism which has been present in our country before the Civil War began in 1861. America still faces racism today however, around the 1920’s the daily life of an African American slowly began to improve. Thus, this time period was known by many, as the “Negro Fad” (O’Neill). The quality of life and freedom of African Americans that lived in the United States was constantly evolving and never completely considered ‘equal’. From being enslaved, to fighting for their freedom, African Americans were greatly changing the status quo and beginning to make their mark in the United States.

Read More
857 Words | 4 Pages

Essay In the novel ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ by Harper Lee, there are many important messages shown throughout the book. However the primary focus was set on racial prejudice that existed in the 1930s-1940’s in the fictional town of Maycomb County. The racism in the novel was very much a reality in 1930s-1940s America. A very good example of the racial prejudice that existed was in the courtroom during Tom Robinson’s trial, an innocent Negro man held against his will for a crime he did not commit.

Read More
132 Words | 1 Pages

The Harlem Renaissance was a period of great cultural growth in the black community. It is accepted that it started in 1918 and lasted throughout the 1930s. Though named the ‘Harlem’ Renaissance, it was a country-wide phenomenon of pride and development among black Americans, the likes of which had never existed in such grand scale. Among the varying political actions and movements for equality, a surge of new art appeared: musical, visual, and even theatre. With said surge, many of the most well-known black authors, poets, musicians and actors rose to prevalence including Langston Hughes, Countee Cullen, Louis Armstrong, and Eulalie Spence.

Read More
1545 Words | 7 Pages

The fascination with Harlem was accompanied by the new objectification of the Negro as an exotic icon” (Watson, p.105). Although there was so much attention brought to the Harlem Renaissance from many, there wasn’t any changes on the need for economic equality nor racial inequality (Watson, p.

Read More
1516 Words | 7 Pages

The Harlem Renaissance was a movement that reflected the culture of African Americans in an artistic way during the 1920’s and the 30’s. Many African Americans who participated in this movement showed a different side of the “Negro Life,” and rejected the stereotypes that were forced on themselves. The Harlem Renaissance was full of artists, musicians, and writers who wrote about their thoughts, especially on discrimination towards blacks, such as Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, and Langston Hughes. The Harlem Renaissance was an influential and exciting movement, and influenced others to fight for what they want and believed in. The Harlem Renaissance was the start of the Civil Rights Movement.

Read More
1283 Words | 6 Pages

Racism is a prominent issue or a serious problem in the American society since the beginning and the Americans are still struggling to eradicate this problem from their land. American soil has witnessed civil rights movements concerning this issue in the past. However in 1920, a movement got initiated to promote black identity known as Harlem Renaissance. It was also a fine arts movement that led to an increase in black confidence, literacy rate, and black culture. Writers wrote about their roots and the current society.

Read More
1223 Words | 5 Pages

If they before were disregarded, in the 1920s their works were widespread. Harlem Renaissance has changed not only cultural but social and political position of African-Americans in American society. The mass migration to the North changed the image of the African-American person, he was not an ignorant and illiterate peasant anymore, he turned into a smart and educated representative of the Middle class. Thanks to this changes, African-Americans became the part of the American and then the world cultural and intellectual elite.

Read More

More about Summary Of The Book When Harlem Was In Vogue

Open Document