Life During The Harlem Renaissance

A renaissance is a rebirth of art and literature. It is also a French word, meaning “rebirth”. Throughout history, it has been shown that social and philosophical changes are represented in the form of art during a renaissance. Beliefs and values throughout society are being reborn by these changes. Artists have always been involved during periods of societal change to express the experiences of the people who are going through changes in their way of living and working.

Before the war, industry in the United States had just begun. Samuel Slater, also known as the “Father of the Factory System”, established the United States’ first factory in 1790 at Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Slater built the spinning jenny, which was one of the key inventions of the industrial revolution. As demand for cotton rose, many sought out an easier, more efficient way to pull seeds from cotton. In 1793, Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin.

The US Radio Industry began in 1913 when American engineer, Edwin Armstrong, invented a special circuit that made long-range radio transmission of voice and music possible. But the radio was only one out of many inventions that were produced during this time. Items such as the refrigerator, electric dishwasher, and vacuum were al inventions of the twenties that make everyday life much simpler. Silent movies also became very popular, but was unfortunately too expensive for many Americans to afford. Eventually, however, the prices began to lower until about roughly 80 million people were able to go to the movies each

The Harlem Renaissance was a period of great cultural growth in the black community. It is accepted that it started in 1918 and lasted throughout the 1930s. Though named the ‘Harlem’ Renaissance, it was a country-wide phenomenon of pride and development among black Americans, the likes of which had never existed in such grand scale. Among the varying political actions and movements for equality, a surge of new art appeared: musical, visual, and even theatre. With said surge, many of the most well-known black authors, poets, musicians and actors rose to prevalence including Langston Hughes, Countee Cullen, Louis Armstrong, and Eulalie Spence.

The Harlem Renaissance is a term that encompasses an intellectual and literary movement of the 1920s and 1930s. A renowned scholar, Alain Locke, argued that “Negro life is seizing its first chances for group expression and self determination” (1926). Moreover, The Harlem Renaissance refers to the re-birth of African Americans who needed “an affirmation of their dignity and humanity in the face of poverty and racism” (Gates, 1997: 929). In their research, Shukla and Banerji state the the Harlem Renaissance “can be considered as the spring of Afro-American voice” that previously remained unheard and unnoticed (2012). For the first time black musicians and artists came to the fore of attention and started to be praised for their work.

It became easier for people to listen to these creators once the radio was invented. When Charles Lindbergh became the first person to fly nonstop across the Atlantic from New York to Paris in 1928, the radio transformed him into a celebrity overnight. Radio’s were one of the most time changing inventions in this era.

With those new opportunities they took to art, literature, and music, and gave themselves a voice to express life beyond the slave oppression. The Harlem Renaissance started a change for African Americans that motivated them to express themselves through their own culture and history. The legacy of the writers/poets, artists, and musicians had a great effect on the African American community by giving hope for better days.

The Roaring Twenties were full of dramatic, social, political, and economic changes ("The Roaring Twenties,1). Post World War I, the era marked the beginning of modern times with new and worthy developments. More and more people were abetted to live in the cities, most people had jobs, therefore money to spend, and they spend it by “having a good time” (McNeese,88). While the society got rid of their miseries; sciences, arts, and businesses renewed themselves by evolving. This research paper briefly gives examples from advances in technology, transportation, and entertainment while discussing their benefits to the United States.

Automobiles. Telephones. Lightbulbs. These were some of the major technological innovations created during 1865 to 1920. These creations impacted many Americans, even to this day.

The Harlem Renaissance was a black literary and art movement that began in Harlem, New York. Migrants from the South came to Harlem with new ideas and a new type of music called Jazz. Harlem welcomed many African Americans who were talented. Writers in the Harlem Renaissance had separated themselves from the isolated white writers which made up the “lost generation” The formation of a new African American cultural identity is what made the Harlem Renaissance and the Lost Generation unique in American culture because it influenced white literacy and it was a sense of freedom for African Americans.

Duke Ellington was a jazz author, conductor, and entertainer amid the Harlem Renaissance. During the developmental Cotton Club years, he explored different avenues regarding and built up the style that would rapidly bring him overall achievement. Ellington would be among the first to concentrate on melodic shape and sythesis in jazz. Ellington composed more than 2000 pieces in his lifetime. The Duke Ellington Orchestra was the "house" symphony for various years at the Cotton Club.

Racism is a prominent issue or a serious problem in the American society since the beginning and the Americans are still struggling to eradicate this problem from their land. American soil has witnessed civil rights movements concerning this issue in the past. However in 1920, a movement got initiated to promote black identity known as Harlem Renaissance. It was also a fine arts movement that led to an increase in black confidence, literacy rate, and black culture. Writers wrote about their roots and the current society.

I learned that the Harlem Renaissance was one of the biggest out burst of many different art and culture. The reason that African Americans moved was because to find better paying jobs, because in the south wages were very compact. New York was also filled with black people after WWI. Harlem produced a richness like none before. Many events happened.

The Harlem Renaissance was a movement that reflected the culture of African Americans in an artistic way during the 1920’s and the 30’s. Many African Americans who participated in this movement showed a different side of the “Negro Life,” and rejected the stereotypes that were forced on themselves. The Harlem Renaissance was full of artists, musicians, and writers who wrote about their thoughts, especially on discrimination towards blacks, such as Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, and Langston Hughes. The Harlem Renaissance was an influential and exciting movement, and influenced others to fight for what they want and believed in. The Harlem Renaissance was the start of the Civil Rights Movement.

The Harlem Renaissance was a development period that took place in Harlem, New York. The Renaissance lasted from 1910 to about the mid-1930s, this period is considered a golden age in African American culture. This Renaissance brought about masterful pieces of music, literature, art, and stage performance. The Harlem Renaissance brought about many prominent black writers such as Richard Wright. Richard Wright is a highly acclaimed writer, who stressed the importance of reading, writing, and words.