Understanding the Harlem Renaissance: Art, Culture, and Social Change

The Harlem Renaissance was a significant literary and cultural movement spurred by increasing Black migration and the establishment of Harlem as a Black metropolis. It highlighted theater and music, inspiring poetry and fiction, though initially lacking detail on artistic developments. The movement, influenced by organizations like the NAACP and events like the East St. Louis riots, aimed to create a distinct African American identity and gain recognition in Western high culture. The study emphasizes the social, cultural, and political circumstances that shaped the Harlem Renaissance, showcasing how African Americans used art, music, and entertainment to challenge segregation and racial discrimination and assert their unique talents and perspectives.

The Harlem Renaissance

Harlem Renaissance was related to the literary movement happened in Harmen and the main reason
behind this was the increasing black migration and making Harlem as a black metropolis in the United
States. In this, there was a brief description about the theatre and music, including its background as
well as local colors. It was considered as an inspiration for poetry as well as local fiction color. But there
was no description related to the development in such areas (Varlack, 2015). As we can see, there was a
huge description of Art in Aaron Douglas as well as in his association with Langston Hughes and some
other young writers too. In 1926, hey produced ‘Fire’ but again there was almost nothing related to the
great work done by African American artists. Even there was a very little discussion about the artwork,
music and theatre done by women. Fortunately, this flimsy view has modified. The Harlem Renaissance
is logically observed through a progressively broad point of convergence that recalls that it as a national
improvement with relationship with overall headways in workmanship and culture that spots extending
emphasis on the non-creative pieces of the advancement ("Harlem speaks: a living history of the Harlem
Renaissance", 2007). A big group of African- American church bought a large block in 1990 on 135th
Street and Fifth Avenue. After the formation of NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of
Colored People) in 1909, they started a protest because of the riots of East St. Louis, Illinois in which
there were many black people murdered. There were men, women and children in the march, and all
were dressed up in white. There was a return from war in 1919 and again race riots got started in the
same year. In 1929, Negro Experimental Theatre, the National Colored Players and Negro Art Theatre
was started. Many new schools were opened in 1931 and then in 1935, Harlem Race Riot happened
because of the rumor about beating a teenager shoplifter. The result was many dead people and big
damages (Calo, 2016).
The Harlem Renaissance plays an important role in history because it was considered as a turning point
in black cultural history. It has provided assistance to African American artists and writers to create own
identity and to get control over the representation of black experience and culture. This made them to
get a place in Western high culture. The main learnings of this study are related to the social, cultural as
well as political circumstances that resulted in Harlem Renaissance. African- American treated in such a
way that resulted in riots and situation became worst. There are many influences that helped in
inspiring the artists and musicians of Harlem Renaissance’s (Steven Eiselen, 2016). I have learnt that this
was the main reason for the African Americans to know their caliber and understand the latent and
uniqueness they had. They showcased, that Africans can also spread happiness with the help of their
music, art and entertainment. With the help of the African American suppression that happened in

south as well as in slavery era, resulted in a new dawn that reflected, Africans were not sustain in
segregation and in the circumstances related to racial discrimination.
References
Calo, M. (2016). Expansion and Redirection: African Americans and the New Deal Federal Art
Projects. Archives Of American Art Journal, 55(2), 80-91. https://doi.org/10.1086/689717
Harlem speaks: a living history of the Harlem Renaissance. (2007), 44(11), 44-6105-44-6105.
https://doi.org/10.5860/choice.44-6105
Steven Eiselen. (2016). Simulating the Harlem Renaissance in Virtual Reality: Glancing into the
Development of the Virtual Harlem Project from 2014–2018. Fire!!!, 5(1), 48.
https://doi.org/10.5323/fire.5.1.0048
Varlack, C. (2015). Harlem Renaissance. Salem Press.