Harlem Renaissance1
The dawn of the 1920's ushered in an African American artistic and cultural movement, the likes of which have never and will likely never be seen again. Beginning as a series of literary discussions in Greenwich Village and Harlem, the "New Negro Movement" (later dubbed the Harlem Renaissance by Alain Locke) came to exalt the unique culture of African Americans and redefine African American expression. The movement spread throughout all areas of the arts and humanities, gaining a wider audience as it went along. Soon it became more than just an artistic movement, it was at the same time a social ideal. The authors and artists of the era simultaneously struggled with and embraced their African heritage and American birth and lifestyle. The arts became a means of rebellion against the racism running rampant through the south, as well as a way for African Americans to finally prove they had their foot in the door of American (especially elitist) culture. The Beginning After years of unfair treatment and humiliation, black people from the South started a migration northwards. Large metropolitan cities such as Washington D.C., Chicago, and New York City became hubs of creat
The notion of "twoness", a divided awareness of one's identity, was introduced by Dubois. He expressed optimism that blacks were shedding the "formula" of conformity and were finally feeling free to be themselves in society. He further believed that his people could not achieve social equality by emulating white ideals; that equality could be achieved only by teaching Black racial pride with an emphasis on an African cultural heritage. Blacks participated in the postwar prosperity, although to a much lesser extent than did whites, and the young generation of literate and literary blacks made the best of it. "One ever feels his two-ness - an American, a Negro; two souls, two thoughts, two unreconciled stirrings: two warring ideals in one dark body, whose dogged strength alone keeps it from being torn asunder. The Harlem Renaissance transformed African-American identity and history, but it also transformed American culture in general. Add to this a whole new white audience frequenting Harlem nightclubs, and black culture began to receive serious critical attention from white intellectuals. The Harlem Renaissance was a flowering of literature, and to a lesser extent, other arts, in New York City during the 1920s and 1930s. " Now they were in a land where "whites only" signs were few and far between and speaking one's mind was not only allowed, but also encouraged by peers. It was the time and place for freedom, freedom of speech, music, ideas, and life. Alain Locke, often called the "midwife and mentor" to the movement, was a sociologist, critic, and author. This migration changed the Black image from rural to urban, from peasant to sophisticate, and introduced them to international ideas that they would most likely have had no contact with in the South. "(The New Negro) Increased contact between races at all levels of society would provide something of a safeguard against rising racial tensions. Locke also observed that blacks themselves had work to do on the race issue, having unnecessarily excused themselves for the ways whites had treated them. Locke believed that blacks needed to assert themselves in all aspects of society in order to gain equality.
Common topics in this essay:
Alain Locke,
African American,
South Locke,
WEB Dubois,
African Americans,
Americans African,
Themes Styles,
Negro Increased,
Harlem Renaissance,
Black Folk,
african american,
african americans,
harlem renaissance,
alain locke,
negro movement,
countee cullen,
racial pride,
lesser extent,
york city,
locke believed,
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Acceptance Essays
