The Harlem Renaissance and Its Effect on the American Dream

The Harlem Renaissance and its Effect on the American Dream What was the Harlem Renaissance? The Harlem Renaissance was a period of time in American history that emphasized African American culture in the form of music, art, and poetry. The Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s was plagued by poverty and racial inequality. African Americans held the dream of upward mobility and racial equality, through mediums such as poetry and jazz: a new form of music originating from the African American community of Harlem. The community of Harlem was initially designated as a place where ambitious middle class workers could live. However, the community and housing of Harlem outgrew the transportation system. This caused the white real estate owners to sell their property to a lower income group of people which were mainly African Americans. By the time that the public transportation systems were extended to Harlem, many African American intellectuals, artists, and poets had already â€Å"set up sho p† there. One of the places in which they did so was Harlem’s Cotton Club. This cabaret was famous for launching the careers of jazz musicians such as Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong. However, the club was owned by whites, and its primary audience was whites. Still, the importance of the club is untestable. It was the way for upper class White Americans to experience what the African American culture was like at the time. A select group of prestigious African Americans would go to the cottonShow MoreRelatedThe Harlem Renaissance : The Rebirth Of African American Arts1708 Words   |  7 PagesHarlem Renaissance The Harlem Renaissance was a cultural, social, and artistic movement that took place in Harlem, New York. This mainly took place starting from the end of the First World War until the mid-1930s. Harlem, at this time, was the center of the African-American culture, and Harlem appealed lot of black artists, writers, scholars, musicians, poets, and photographers. Lots of these artists had fled from the South because they needed to get away from their oppressive caste system so thatRead MoreEssay on Langston Hughes a Harlem Renaissance Man1463 Words   |  6 Pages20th century many African Americans migrated from the south to the north in what we call today, the Great Migration. Many African Americans found themselves in a district of New York City called Harlem. The area known as Harlem matured into the hideaway of jazz and the blues where the African American artist emerged calling themselves the â€Å"New Negro.† The New Negro was the cornerstone for an era known today as the Harlem Renaissance (Barksdale 23). 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Due to the lack of acknowledgment of African Americans culturalRead MoreThe Harlem Renaissance : An African American Intellectual And Artistic Movement1329 Words   |  6 PagesThe Harlem Renaissance was an African-American intellectual and artistic movement centered in New York City in the late 1920’s and 1930’s (Hutchinson). It was part of the larger New Negro Movement, which was made possible by the Great Migration – a large exodus of about six million blacks out of the Southeastern United States to the Midwest, Northeast, and West that lasted from about 1915 to 1970 (Gross). The influence of the Harlem Renaissance was widespread and long-lasting, in part, becauseRead MoreLangston Hughes and the Harlem Renaissance Essay2223 Words   |  9 Pagesand the Harlem Renaissance Harlem Renaissance was undoubtedly a cultural and social-political movement for the African American race. The Renaissance was many things to people, but it is best described as a cultural movement in which the high level of black artistic cultural production, demanded and received recognition. Many African American writers, musicians, poets, and leaders were able to express their creativity in many ways in response to their social condition. Until the Harlem RenaissanceRead MoreEssay about The Harlem Renaissance1582 Words   |  7 Pages1930’s, the Harlem Renaissance was an important movement for African-Americans all across America. This movement allowed the black culture to be heard and accepted by white citizens. The movement was expressed through art, music, and literature. These things were also the most known, and remembered things of the renaissance. Also this movement, because of some very strong, moving and inspiring people changed political views for African-Ameri cans. Compared to before, The Harlem Renaissance had major