Welcome To The Harlem Renaissance
A movement coined from Alain Locke's The New Negro in 1925, The Harlem Renaissance emerged in 1918 as a result of the migration of African
Americans from southern states to New York. African Americans also migrated from the south to cities like Chicago, Cleveland and Detroit.
The migration to the north came towards the end of World War I. African Americans were looking for opportunities unavailable to them in
the south. What was once a place where middle and upper class white people lived, the city of Harlem became a middle-class black
neighborhood for writers, musicians and intellectuals interested in the advancement of the African American community. These African
Americans were in search of a better life and interested in social thought that included sociology, historiology, and philosophy.
They asserted the freedom to express themselves.
This freedom to express themselves came in the form of literature, drama, music, visual art, dance and even politics. African
Americans in the north had opportunities to advance in ways unlike the south. Although the Civil War abolished slavery, the Jim Crow laws
of the south were not yet ready to accept African Americans as equals which made living in the south hard for African Americans. But in Harlem,
African Americans were able to celebrate their dignity and creativity. Artists and intellects challenged racism and perceptions of African
Americans were changing. Writers and intellects were gaining respect from white publishers and art venues. White Americans became fascinated
about the culture of the Harlem Renaissance movement. Writers wrote from their experiences and artists captured
the essence of black culture from their perspective. Playwrights brought black culture to the stage, and African American newspapers and
magazines kept the black community informed. Musicians from the south brought the blues and jazz. The cultural explosion of literature was
dominant at first. But as music grew popular, bringing in diverse audiences, dancing became popular as well. Dancing became a major part of
the music. Music played by bands were specifically aimed at getting people to dance. A band's success was also determined by it's ability to
get people to dance. The Harlem Renaissance provided new ways to explore the experiences of Black America. Many were influenced by the Harlem
Renaissance including Afro-Caribbean artists, people from the West Indies, as well as french-speaking black writers who lived in Paris from African
and Caribbean colonies. The explosion of culture during the Harlem Renaissance was influential internationally and unprecedented.
A New Black Identity
African Americans were being recognized for their intellect and significant contributions to American culture through the Harlem Renaissance.
This served as the springboard for actors, musicians, poets, artists, and writers of fiction. Sociologists, historians and activists started
organizations such as the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the National Urban League, the Second Pan African
Congress and the Colored Players Guild. Many who migrated were descendants of slaves who had the opportunity for education and many had advanced
degrees from prominent schools. They unified with one another sharing the same cause: To be recognized for their contributions, taken seriously
about their political views, and most of all, to be treated equally.
An Explosion of Talent in Harlem
In 1914, a theater was constructed on 125th Street in the heart of Harlem. Originally, it was named Hurtig and Seamon's New Burlesque Theatre and African-Americans
were not allowed in the audience. In 1934, Ralph Cooper, Sr. decided to do a live version of his already popular radio show, Amateur Nite Hour at the Apollo,
at the Apollo Theater, then owned by the Schiffman family. Ella Fitzgerald was one of the first Amateur Night winners. That same year, Cooper, Benny Carter
and "16 Gorgeous Hot Steppers" dazzled the crowds with the theater's first "Colored Revue." In 1935, Bessie Smith made her Apollo debut followed by an unknown
vocalist by the name of Billie Holiday who graced the Apollo stage and mesmerized the audience with her undeniable style and talent. Soon thereafter,
the Apollo Theater quickly became known the place "Where Stars are Born and Legends are Made" and "home" to thousands of major performance artists,
fans, and patrons of the arts from around the world.
A movement coined from Alain Locke's The New Negro in 1925, The Harlem Renaissance emerged in 1918 as a result of the migration of African
Americans from southern states to New York. African Americans also migrated from the south to cities like Chicago, Cleveland and Detroit.
The migration to the north came towards the end of World War I. African Americans were looking for opportunities unavailable to them in
the south. What was once a place where middle and upper class white people lived, the city of Harlem became a middle-class black
neighborhood for writers, musicians and intellectuals interested in the advancement of the African American community. These African
Americans were in search of a better life and interested in social thought that included sociology, historiology, and philosophy.
They asserted the freedom to express themselves.
This freedom to express themselves came in the form of literature, drama, music, visual art, dance and even politics. African
Americans in the north had opportunities to advance in ways unlike the south. Although the Civil War abolished slavery, the Jim Crow laws
of the south were not yet ready to accept African Americans as equals which made living in the south hard for African Americans. But in Harlem,
African Americans were able to celebrate their dignity and creativity. Artists and intellects challenged racism and perceptions of African
Americans were changing. Writers and intellects were gaining respect from white publishers and art venues. White Americans became fascinated
about the culture of the Harlem Renaissance movement. Writers wrote from their experiences and artists captured
the essence of black culture from their perspective. Playwrights brought black culture to the stage, and African American newspapers and
magazines kept the black community informed. Musicians from the south brought the blues and jazz. The cultural explosion of literature was
dominant at first. But as music grew popular, bringing in diverse audiences, dancing became popular as well. Dancing became a major part of
the music. Music played by bands were specifically aimed at getting people to dance. A band's success was also determined by it's ability to
get people to dance. The Harlem Renaissance provided new ways to explore the experiences of Black America. Many were influenced by the Harlem
Renaissance including Afro-Caribbean artists, people from the West Indies, as well as french-speaking black writers who lived in Paris from African
and Caribbean colonies. The explosion of culture during the Harlem Renaissance was influential internationally and unprecedented.
A New Black Identity
African Americans were being recognized for their intellect and significant contributions to American culture through the Harlem Renaissance.
This served as the springboard for actors, musicians, poets, artists, and writers of fiction. Sociologists, historians and activists started
organizations such as the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the National Urban League, the Second Pan African
Congress and the Colored Players Guild. Many who migrated were descendants of slaves who had the opportunity for education and many had advanced
degrees from prominent schools. They unified with one another sharing the same cause: To be recognized for their contributions, taken seriously
about their political views, and most of all, to be treated equally. An Explosion of Talent in Harlem
In 1914, a theater was constructed on 125th Street in the heart of Harlem. Originally, it was named Hurtig and Seamon's New Burlesque Theatre and African-Americans
were not allowed in the audience. In 1934, Ralph Cooper, Sr. decided to do a live version of his already popular radio show, Amateur Nite Hour at the Apollo,
at the Apollo Theater, then owned by the Schiffman family. Ella Fitzgerald was one of the first Amateur Night winners. That same year, Cooper, Benny Carter
and "16 Gorgeous Hot Steppers" dazzled the crowds with the theater's first "Colored Revue." In 1935, Bessie Smith made her Apollo debut followed by an unknown
vocalist by the name of Billie Holiday who graced the Apollo stage and mesmerized the audience with her undeniable style and talent. Soon thereafter,
the Apollo Theater quickly became known the place "Where Stars are Born and Legends are Made" and "home" to thousands of major performance artists,
fans, and patrons of the arts from around the world.
The Musicians
She became one of the very first black women to work with a white orchestra; He composed not only the dance tunes for the The Cotton Club shows, but also the overtures, transitions, accompaniments, and "jungle" effects that gave him the freedom to experiment with orchestral arrangements that touring bands rarely had; Learn more about the MUSICIANS here.
The Great Writers
He wrote his first verse and was named class poet of his eighth grade class; She pursued the objective of moving from traditional dialectical works and imitation of white writers to explore her own culture and affirm pride in her race by combining literature with anthropology; he was the youngest of eleven children, an avid reader who began writing poetry at the age of ten; and this young man distinguished himself in the study of medicine and in the writing of short fiction. Read about some of the most successful WRITERS during the Harlem Renaissance here.
Picture Gallery
Between the years of 1919 and 1926, large numbers of African Americans migrated from the rural Southern states to the industrialized metropolitan areas of the North. Cities, such as New York, Chicago, Detroit, and Washington D.C., became centers of African American life and culture as educational levels and economic success among African Americans rose GALLERY.
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She became one of the very first black women to work with a white orchestra; He composed not only the dance tunes for the The Cotton Club shows, but also the overtures, transitions, accompaniments, and "jungle" effects that gave him the freedom to experiment with orchestral arrangements that touring bands rarely had; Learn more about the MUSICIANS here.
The Great Writers
He wrote his first verse and was named class poet of his eighth grade class; She pursued the objective of moving from traditional dialectical works and imitation of white writers to explore her own culture and affirm pride in her race by combining literature with anthropology; he was the youngest of eleven children, an avid reader who began writing poetry at the age of ten; and this young man distinguished himself in the study of medicine and in the writing of short fiction. Read about some of the most successful WRITERS during the Harlem Renaissance here.
Picture Gallery
Between the years of 1919 and 1926, large numbers of African Americans migrated from the rural Southern states to the industrialized metropolitan areas of the North. Cities, such as New York, Chicago, Detroit, and Washington D.C., became centers of African American life and culture as educational levels and economic success among African Americans rose GALLERY.
top ↑