History of The Harlem Renaissance
The Harlem Renaissance was an era in which African Americans from all around the country who were fearless, educated and talented wanted to make a name for themselves. How were they to know they were entering an era that would be historical? They didn't know. What these individuals did know was that they were not going to continue on the road to inequality as it was in the South. They knew that whether they came from middle-class families or not, they were not going to let their background lives define who they wanted to become.
People like Langston Hughes knew early on in life about his appreciation for literature. Ella Fitzgerald didn't let her unfortunate circumstances drag her down. What made someone as young as Ella at age fifteen get on a stage to sing in front of the toughest audience at the Apollo Theatre? What made Duke Ellington turn down a scholarship to attend an arts college to pursue his dream of being a musician?
Drive. Persistence. Confidence. Courage. A new attitude. No wonder Alain Locke titled his book, "The New Negro". The Harlem Renaissance was not just an era in African American history. The Harlem Renaissance is part of American history. What was introduced and experienced during those years in Harlem is still being taught and learned today. The Harlem Renaissance showed the entire world that these people who were once thought of as slaves: people who could not think for themselves, could not be educated and were not allowed equal rights were now making significant contributions to societies all over the world in all facets of education, literature, the arts, and culture. African Americans were being respected for their contributions especially in the north of the U.S. and as a result, segregation was changing into integration.

Arts and Culture in Harlem
Lincoln Theatre, one of the first theaters in New York to allow African Americans to pass through its doors, was an integral part of Harlem's cultural scene. In 1915, the Lincoln became the original home of the Anita Bush Players. The all-black theatrical troupe later moved its base to the Lafayette Theatre, and became known as the Lafayette Players. The Lincoln went on to thrive in the 1920s and 1930s, showcasing many of Harlem's hottest jazz and vaudeville performers, including Ethel Waters and Florence Mills. The 1,000-seat venue also featured silent movie screenings with musical accompaniment by pianist Fats Waller.
The Lafayette Theatre played two starring roles in the Harlem Renaissance. Not only was it one of the first New York City playhouses to welcome integrated audiences, but its stage was among the first to showcase sophisticated performances by African-American actors. The 2,000-seat theater, dubbed "House Beautiful" by its fans, was home to Harlem's first professional company, the Lafayette Players. This acting troupe had been attached to the Lafayette since 1916. It cast black actors in serious dramatic roles:many of them written for white actors by white authors. Standout Harlem thinkers such as W. E. B. Du Bois rebuked the players for failing to promote the work of black authors. Yet the set-up allowed serious black actors such as Evelyn Preer, Charles Gilpin, and Paul Robeson to transcend the stereotyped or comedic roles to which they had once been classified.

The Neighborhood
Harlem was named early on when New York was still New Amsterdam. The small village founded by Peter Stuyvesant in 1658, was called New Harlem (Nieuw Haarlem) after the town of Haarlem back home. The area was mostly farmland until the mid-19th century when the city began expanding northward. The first type of construction was in the form of tenements, which became home to a changing groups of immigrants to the city. These were followed by luxury buildings designed to attract wealthy citizens fleeing crowded downtown areas. At the same time, the suburban train lines reached even further north and the middle classes soon left Harlem for destinations in the Bronx and Westchester. The Great Migration of African Americans to the North after World War I found the overlooked Harlem developments desperate for tenants. African-Americans moved into Harlem when Harlem was primarily made up of middle- and upper-class White people. As African Americans began to bring income into the community they rapidly grew into a middle-class community.

Harlem Politics
The Harlem Renaissance could have been considered a social movement that empowered African Americans to be self-sufficient. A very important political factor associated with the Harlem Renaissance is that African Americans in the north were allowed to vote and therefore, began to see the importance of their political involvement. As more people moved into cities, segregation led to the creation of predominantly Black neighborhoods with a culture and identity that was untouched by the restraints of slavery. Cities like Chicago, Cleveland, Flint, and especially New York, received large numbers of blacks to work in factories. The abundance of jobs and amalgamation of people into neighborhoods helped in the development of areas like Harlem. The proximity of people to each other and the development of neighborhoods allowed many blacks to form their own networks, publications, and organizations. This development of organizational strength would allow for the continued development of cultural and political ideas in Harlem and across the country. Two important political figures also helped to shape the political views of communities such as those in Harlem. Marcus Garvey, who founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association and was elected by its council to be President of the association, had a Black Nationalist philosophy and was a proponent of a black migration back to Africa. W.E.B. Dubois was a leading black politician and philosopher during the Harlem Renaissance. His views were in direct conflict of those of Garvey since Dubois favored integration and Garvey favored separation. Both of these political figures not only helped to influence the political views of African Americans, they empowered African Americans to become actively involved in their communities politically.

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