African American community in the 1920s : The Harlem Renaissance by Tenzin Scoville and Aissata Wagne: 3D Gallery

An introduction to the Harlem renaissance

The Harlem Renaissance brought a new wave of art and inventions led by the African American community. Only a generation out of slavery, black Americans were seeking a better life in the north where they could form a culture of their own escaping from the racist grip of the Jim Crow south. As the great migration developed, a surge in African American art appeared. Soon enough big names in the African American community arose. Known as “the father of the Harlem Renaissance, Alain Locke wrote his book “The New Negro: Voices of Harlem” this book essentially started the Harlem Renaissance or the New Negro movement. African American led venues started to appear in mass where black Americans could express themselves through art. Despite the explosion in African American culture and art, there were still many difficulties. Such as the Jim Crow laws and oppression against people of colour. The red summer of 1919 is probably one of the best-known incidents of violence against the African American community, during this period of only a few months 1000+ African Americans were killed out of racial hatred. We can see from this that the African American community desperately needed an outlet. Art during the Harlem renaissance was also healing as well as a great opportunity to get black names out in public. Unfortunately, the Harlem renaissance came to an abrupt end when the crash of 1929 happened and this art was not the main priority of the time. Despite this, The Harlem Renaissance paved the way for many artists, authors, and musicians to come, black or white, this period of artistic evolution will always be a crucial part of history.

The great migration and spark of the Harlem Renaissance

Many events led up to the big turning point in African American history that is the Harlem renaissance. The biggest cause of the Harlem renaissance was the Great Migration. Millions of African Americans from the rural towns of the south sought a better life in the north where discrimination wasn’t as severe as in the south (or so they thought). It is true that the north was not nearly as harsh as the south on the African American community, however, white supremacist groups such as the KKK were very much present in the north.

Many white people hated the idea that their cities were being filled with people of colour, even if they were trying to escape the dangerous deep south. Many of the African American adults living back then had been enslaved (not all) and suffered the terrors of slavery. Even after slavery was abolished in 1868 many African Americans were still required to work on plantations to make a living, but they were paid hardly anything. However, opposing this was the north where the jim crow laws were in place but people of colour were not as harshly discriminated against. As the African American community gained more freedom their culture began to expand and develop. This began to lead to an explosion in the arts in the African American community

Art as a coping mechanism

^An African-American lynched by a white mob in Omaha, Nebraska, Sept. 28, 1919, during a period dubbed the "Red Summer."

As African Americans gained more freedom, many white people began to grow increasingly concerned. A good number of them were not at all keen on the idea of the African American person being integrated into modern society. As a result, white supremacist groups such as the Ku Klux Klan began to form in order to keep African Americans down and “in their place”. It was formed in 1865 shortly before the abolition of slavery. However, the group only became more powerful and prominent as time went on and was especially active in the early 1900s. Evidently, to them, the Jim crow laws were not sufficient. These groups would perform cross burnings near predominantly black towns/neighbourhoods in order to instil fear. With growing African American led businesses and organizations, their hatred only grew. The red summer of 1919 is one of the most violent periods in the African American community in the history of the US. There were 1000+ casualties during this period of a few months. Furthermore, segregation was a crucial part of society even in the smallest things such as drinking fountains or even sections of trains.

As the African American community evidently didn’t have much room for equality they had to find ways to channel their emotions and cope with the immense discrimination against themselves. Many turned to art as an outlet. As well as in visual arts and dancing, the creation of jazz and blues is one of the most well-known methods that the African community managed to push through the pure hatred against them. From this sparked a new age of art, the Harlem Renaissance. Hundreds and thousands turned this hatred into something beautiful creating a mark to be remembered by and starting a movement encouraging the African American population to speak up for their rights and showing everyone their capabilities, making a place for themselves in a predominantly white society where they were not accepted.

Alain Locke, The father of the Harlem Renaissance

^Alain Locke, father of the Harlem Renaissance

( Bahai.us/Flickr )

He was born September 13th, 1885, in Philadelphia, PA

He died June 9th, 1954, Mount Sinai Hospital, New York, NY.

He is known as the “Father of the Harlem renaissance” as he was essentially the one who dubbed the Harlem Renaissance the New Negro movement (which is what the Harlem renaissance was then called). He was a well-educated man who graduated from oxford university and went on to become a renowned author and philosopher which was an amazing accomplishment especially at that time for a black man. He later became the chairman of the Philosophy department at Howard University, he stayed in that position until his retirement in 1953. He was mainly against the most elite behaviours although he firmly believed in W.E.B DuBois‘ Talented Tenth philosophy. He liked to challenge African American Artists to incorporate their culture into their art and to push the social boundaries.

Political consciousness and the “New Negro” movement

^The New Negro: Voices of the Harlem Renaissance Paperback – March 1, 1999 (amazon)

The Harlem renaissance sparked new political consciousness among African-American people. This new flowering of political consciousness was organized around the new sense of identity that African-Americans created during the Harlem renaissance. Alen Locke, one of the theoreticians of the renaissance, conceptualized this new identity of black people and named it the “New Negro”. This term recognized and expressed the growing awareness of the powers and capabilities of black Americans.

The rise of powerful African American figures (Artists, Activists, and entrepreneurs) into American and prominently white society.

The Harlem renaissance was enabling the African American community to make incredible strides in education, politics, and For the first time in history, African Americans were being integrated into society. With this discrimination only got worse however the African American community persisted and grew their culture. With the sudden burst in African American art and business, there was also a sudden appearance of a powerful black figure, which was extremely new to the society. People such as Langston Hughes and Josephine Baker began to make their name. With the booming economy of the roaring 20s and the appreciation of art, many black artists had a place to showcase their talents. Some people such as Ella Fitzgerald were admired by everyone whether they were white or black. Solely because of PURE talent. The rise of Black figures helped break racial barriers which then seemed impossible to get over.

Impact of jazz on society

^Bettmann Archive/Getty Images

Jazz during the Harlem Renaissance helped change society forever; it opened up the ideas of what was socially acceptable and it helped black people become proud of their culture. was associated with interracial sex, illegal drugs and rebellious society where people would do whatever they want. Jazz was linked to urban nightlife, prohibition, vice zones, and inner-city neighbourhoods. Therefore, many people of educated, middle-class areas deemed Harlem jazz to be the “devil’s music”. This new upbringing of music during the Harlem renaissance created a new floor for black Americans to express themselves. Harlem jazz completely flipped previous beliefs on their head and revolutionized music for years to come.

Writing in the Harlem renaissance and the growth of African American literature

During the Harlem renaissance, black writers created an extensive number of literary works alongside. The Harlem renaissance was based on ideas from Alan Locke and Marcus Garvey. Alan Locke’s “New Negro” depicted the new generation of black people. It described the power of black Americans. Marcus Garvey was the ounder of the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA). The renaissance encapsulated everything from political writings to poetry, and is especially important for poets such as Countee Cullen, James Weldon Johnson, and Claude McKay. Langston Hughes is probably the most renowned writer of the Harlem renaissance. Literature became a great way for black Americans to express feelings of grief and pain. W.E.B. DuBois used his very influential role in the Crisis magazine to adress and oppose racism, such as lynching and segregation. The Harlem renaissance has opened new doors for black writers in America. During the Harlem renaissance, writers like W.E.B. DuBois and Alan Locke used their writing power and status on magazines and news companies to express ideas of the “New Negro” and oppose ideas of racism. Literature during the Harlem renaissance helped show African-Americans their powers and help bring about the realization of “I can do it, and do it with dignity, grace, and style.”

How visual arts were used as empowerment for black Americans

^Gamin, Augusta Savage

With the effects of slavery Black culture had almost been completely diminished. As a result, when African Americans began to enter society as human beings and not as pawns in a racially biased economy, they began to form their own culture. Many began to try to relate to their African roots, displaying afro culture in their art. We can see through a lot of pieces that African culture was an important part of the process and expression. Although it may not have been much it had a sense of empowerment to it. Finally, black people in the US were able to express their feelings, develop their own culture, and partially break away from the iron grip white people had on them.

Crash of 1929 and the inevitable end of the Harlem Renaissance

^Men and women working a field on the Bayou Bourbeau plantation, a Farm Security Administration cooperative near Natchitoches, Louisiana. (Credit: Corbis/Getty Images)

Unfortunately, all things must come to an end, including the Harlem Renaissance. The economic crash of 1929 sadly brought the Harlem renaissance to an end. With extreme poverty enveloping the country, and African Americans as the last priority, the authors, writers, and artists went their own ways. Despite this abrupt end to an age of creativity, the artists, authors, and musicians of the African American community paved a way for hundreds and thousands of new musicians, artists, and authors.

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African American community in the 1920s : The Harlem Renaissance by Tenzin Scoville and Aissata Wagne