THE HARLEM RENAISSANCE
During the 1920's Harlem went through a time of African culture pride and expression. The reason that it became inhabited by such a large number of Africans was mostly because as more immigrants and Africans flooded the area the upper class white folk left. The primary origin for all the African Americans moving into this area was because almost two million migrated from the South around this time in order to live and work in the industrialized cities. Throughout the decade the city directly became the center of all the new ideas and created a new perspective for Africans around the country.
One of the first signs of this expression was the beginning of plays having African actors who were successful and among white actors. In addition to acting, music was also fully embraced by Africans and there were many successful African jazz bands. White people around the world could not keep on resisting the catchy tunes and rhythmic beats that they had which got many band famous and rich. As whites started to merge and share music with black, blacks started to compose classical music which led to successful merges in races in terms of music.
Overall this movement significantly increased the social approval of African Art and Literature by proving to the world that Africans are creative and sophisticated. Most of all this decade signified to other Africans around the world that they were capable of much more than they were being told prior and it gave the mass a sense of empowerment and opportunity. Which aspect of the movement do you guys think was the most influential to the social increase of stature that African Americans obtained?
I think that perhaps the literature, and most specifically, the poems, helped increase, as well as indicated an increase, the stature of African-Americans.
ReplyDeleteIn English class, one of the sonnets we read was written by an African-American poet during the Harlem Renaissance. Sonnets are a very European style of poem, Shakespeare, whom we all know, being the most prominent writer of them. The fact that Claude McKay, the aforementioned poet of the Harlem Renaissance, even dared to write the poem, never mind write one as well as any white ever had, is a large indication of not only how whites are no better than blacks, but how the African Americans experienced an increase in social stature.
I find it very interesting how much white folk liked the music and atmosphere of Harlem that was created by the blacks there, however, they blacks still did not have have equal political rights. Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong were some of the most famous musicians of their time period, however, these men were still not equal to white people, and racial inequality continued until the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s.
ReplyDeleteI disagree with your argument that the Harlem Renaissance created a new perspective for Africans around the country. I think it was still really only the north was was receptive to it and even then they kind of took their ideas and made them "white." I was still a very significant movement but I think it was more about African-American empowerment and finding their own voice than being accepted by white America.
ReplyDeleteI'm not basing this off of any research, but I would guess that the music created and spread during the so called Harlem Renaissance would have the most impact. I say this for a few reasons. One, you said yourself, Ian, that, "White people around the world could not keep on resisting the catchy tunes and rhythmic beats." And, in the the documentary we watched in class about the 1920s, the interviewees provided details about how they would save up for weeks just to go to Harlem for a night to listen to the music and dance. While the argument of literature being the most influential makes sense, I would guess that music was because it brought so many people together. Literature, on the other hand, may have proven an intelligence in African Americans, which whites had previously left unacknowledged.
ReplyDelete@Perla You have a good point and I definitely agree that in the south or even in the north africans were definitely not equal, but this renaissance still greatly affected the south. Although the south did not embrace the new culture as much as the north it was impossible for the south to be truly impenetrable to their culture because it was so impressive and there were bound to be southerners who enjoyed and embraced it. Because of this I do believe that it did change how whites all around the nation perceived African-Americans, not just finding themselves.
ReplyDelete@Alvina @Patrick @Dylan: agreed
I think that rise in popularity of jazz music was the most influential in elevating African Americans' social standing during and after the Harlem Renaissance. Jazz music was essentially what caught the attention of whites. This was the initial spark, and then interest in African American culture as a whole (poems, literature, etc.) began to grow.
ReplyDeleteAs for the Harlem Renaissance's effect on white America's perspective on the African American people, I think there is some middle ground between Perla and Ian's opinions. I think that the Harlem Renaissance was the first and only instance (to this magnitude) of African American culture having such a profound effect on popular culture of the time, despite Jim Crow laws and segregation. I think that while it did not instantaneously changed how blacks were treated in the country, it did have a huge impact on the country in terms of, as Ian says above, how the nation perceived African Americans. Had the Harlem Renaissance not occurred, perhaps it would have been even more difficult for those involved in civil rights movements later in the century.
The Harlem Renaissance was a very revolutionary period for music and the arts, since it completely changed the music from a consistent old classical period into the vast multiple genres we have today. I also think it is interesting that many of the young white people during the period embraced the product of African American culture, even though racism against blacks wasn't showing any signs of stopping. The KKK may have realized that this new music was the product of blacks, so they were probably against these new types of music.
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