Essay on The Harlem Renaissance and Its Societal Effects

What Is the Harlem Renaissance, and What Effects Did It Have On Society? Harlem was like a great magnet for the Negro intellectual, pulling him from everywhere. Or perhaps the magnet was New York, but once in New York, he had to live in Harlem(Langston Hughes, The Big Sea). When one is describing a â€Å"fresh and brilliant portrait of African American art and culture in the 1920s (Rampersad, Arnold),† the Harlem Renaissance would be the most accurate assumption. The Harlem Renaissance proved to America that African Americans also have specialized talents and should also be able to display their gifts. The Harlem Renaissance also obtained the notoriety expeditiously that participants of this movement needed to change America’s perspective†¦show more content†¦2008.). The Harlem Renaissance began establishing from the â€Å"Great Migration of African Americans-- they migrated from rural spaces to urban spaces and from South to North. This migration went on throughout the 1920’s. As a result, literacy levels increased dramatically and different cultures began to emerge and work as one and enact national organizations.†(International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences. 2008.) Prominent leaders responsible for shaping the Harlem Renaissance and new organizations for the betterment of black environments extended from W.E.B. Du Bois to Marcus Garvey to James Weldon Johnson to A Philip Randolph. Leaders of this era worked diligently to establish themselves as powerful forces fighting for a cultural change. â€Å"In the early 1920s, Harlem came bursting with excitement-- it was the most vibrant African American community in the nation. Teeming with people and teeming with activity, it could have been described as Langston Hughes noted: â€Å"A great magnet for the Negro intellectual.† (United States History: Reconstruction to the Present). Pursuing this further, â€Å"the increasingly interest in black heritage and cultural modification escalated and coincided with a general interest, among American intellectuals and artists generally, in defining an â€Å"American† culture†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences. 2008) Garvey, Johnson, Randolph and Dubois’s interests expanded greatly throughout the movement influencing other youngShow MoreRelatedTableau Analytical Essay . The Harlem Renaissance Was A1351 Words   |  6 PagesTableau Analytical Essay The Harlem Renaissance was a turning point for the United States as a whole, but more importantly African American Culture. African Americans in the United States became more prominent and involved in society. Culturally and artistically African Americans began to thrive as they began to fully express themselves and become more involved in American society. Countee Cullen, an African American, was apart of the artistic movement. Through his writing Cullen exemplified theRead More The Role of Female African American Sculptors in the Harlem Renaissance1689 Words   |  7 PagesThe Role of Female African American Sculptors in the Harlem Renaissance The Harlem Renaissance, a time of global appreciation for the black culture, was a door opening for African American women. Until then, African Americans, let alone African American women, were neither respected nor recognized in the artistic world. During this time of this New Negro Movement, women sculptors were able to connect their heritages with the present issues in America. There is an abundance of culture and historyRead MoreAlexandra Williams . Harlem Renaissance . Dr. Lean’Tin1237 Words   |  5 PagesWilliams Harlem Renaissance Dr. Lean’tin Bracks March 1, 2017 Langston Hughes â€Å"I Too† Langston Hughes, born February 1,1902 was a writer and a leader of the Harlem Renaissance era. Hughes was one who had a very firm revolutionary back groud even agreeing with the idea of communism as a segregation alternative. This theme showed up throughout his works. Often publishing revolutionary work and keeping certain associations is where Hughes began to receive backlash as an artist. The Harlem RenaissanceRead MoreTraditional Values Conflicted with a Modern Era in the Roaring Twenties738 Words   |  3 PagesThe 1920s was a decade of exhilarating societal changes and reflective cultural conflicts in the nation. For many Americans, the expansion of cities ignited the ascend of a consumer culture, the upsurge of mass entertainment, changes in the religious and moral climate, the boiling tensions of the black racial movement and the changing role of women in society. The United States was going through a cultural civil war where traditional values conflicted with an era of modernity. Mass culture andRead MoreThe Harlem Renaissance : An Intellectual Movement1377 Words   |  6 PagesAs inferred by William Harmon, â€Å"the Harlem Renaissance was the first intellectual and artistic movement that brought African America to the attention of the entire nation†, as stated verbatim in A Handbook to Literature (Harmon 227). Accordingly, the Harlem Renaissance was an intellectual movement that was commenced to enrich men and women of color through expressive mediums such as in literature, art (both visually and dramatically), music, and knowledge of thyself; it was ultimately a reawakeningRead More Writers of the Harlem Renaissance Essay2535 Words   |  11 PagesWriters of the Harlem Renaissance During the 1920?s, a ?flowering of creativity,? as many have called it, began to sweep the nation. The movement, now known as ?The Harlem Renaissance,? caught like wildfire. Harlem, a part of Manhattan in New York City, became a hugely successful showcase for African American talent. Starting with black literature, the Harlem Renaissance quickly grew to incredible proportions. W.E.B. Du Bois, Claude McKay, and Langston Hughes, along with many otherRead MoreThe Writings Of African American Women1634 Words   |  7 PagesWriting is an escape, a way to challenge societal issues. It allows readers to gaze through the lens of the storytellers (questia.com). The writings of African-American women have showcased the triumph of the African-American community over adversity by exceeding their boundaries and limitations. Historically, African-Americans have used writing as a means of sharing their struggles and victories in a way that encourages survival and self-discovery. Countless Af rican-American authors have influencedRead MoreKate Chopin s The Awakening1704 Words   |  7 Pagesdominating social and cultural forces. American society, despite habitually being disguised as a detachment from individual lives, sways American individuals through its cultural and political flaws. Kate Chopin’s The Awakening explores the effects societal conventions had on women by narrating a tale of how a woman’s pursuit of independence, her sexual identity, and self-expression leads to her solitude and eventual death. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, women weren’t expected toRead MoreThe Modern Era Of American History1555 Words   |  7 Pagesthe Old and in with the New The 1920s stand as a monumental decade in American history with radical shifts in the values and practices of many Americans due to the revelations in science and the birth of the Modernist movement that spurred societal reformation. However, these progressive ideals and values were met with fierce opposition in many regards that created a polarity in America between proponents of this new religion and advocates for the traditional old religion of Christianity andRead MoreColorism Within the Harlem Renaissance2864 Words   |  12 PagesJatoria Nicholson Dr. West ENG 4903.01 6 December 2012 Colorism within the Harlem Renaissance Within any group of people there is always going to be some form of judgment and African American people of the early twentieth century Harlem are no different. Throughout this course students have been immersed into the culture of 1920s Harlem and through this immersion many significant issues have surfaced from the artist of the time period. A major issue that has been repetitive throughout all forms