The Harlem Renaissance: An African American Cultural Movement
1909 The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People NAACP is founded Setting the Scene 1920 Eugene O’Neill’s play The Emperor Jones debuts in November 1917 Marcus Garvey moves to Harlem and founds the United Negro Improvement Association UNIA 1909 1913 1919 1917 1919 1920 1920s 1919 Race riots explode in cities throughout the country creating the Red Summer of Hate 1920s Huge numbers of black Americans leave New York to travel abroad 1913 1919 Early jazz is first heard in New York City 6 The Harlem Renaissance An African American Cultural Movement
A Timeline 1921 Shuffle Along opens on Broadway in New York City 1935 The Works Progress Administration WPA begins providing government-sponsored jobs to many Harlem-based artists and writers The Harlem Race Riot is sparked by anger over racial discrimination 1926 Harlem’s Savoy Ballroom opens 1921 1923 1926 1929 1935 1923 Duke Ellington and his band arrive in New York The legendary Cotton Club opens in Harlem 1929 The Great Depression begins Setting the Scene A Timeline 7
Introduction A GREAT AWAKENING Many cultures have experienced a golden age a time when culture and people thrived Writers created great literature artists made masterpieces songwriters created music that defined their generation and actors delighted audiences on the stage Readers listeners and crowds absorbed the richness of these moments and shared them People were enlightened or awakened For many black Americans that golden age arrived in the 1920s Harlem a neighborhood neighborhood in New York City was the focal point of this cultural awakening Hundreds Hundreds of thousands of black American workers headed north many to Harlem Between 1918 and the mid-1930s the neighborhood thrived as a centerpiece for black American culture and the movement movement known as the Harlem Renaissance Renaissance was an old French word that meant rebirth so it felt like the perfect title for the changes many black Americans Americans were experiencing The movement was primarily led by African American writers playwrights actors singers artists artists and jazz and blues musicians They came from many backgrounds but did not necessarily share the same beliefs about art politics or society However they all shared a common goal They wanted to provide a unifying voice for the 10 million black Americans trying to coexist with the 80 million white people living in the United United States at that time A Struggle for Equality The Harlem Renaissance began as World War I ended in 1918 and tapered off in the 1930s However the movement’s impact lingered for several decades In large part the Harlem Renaissance Renaissance resulted from the ongoing struggle struggle black Americans had with extreme poverty racism segregation and 8 The Harlem Renaissance An African American Cultural Movement
African Americans faced segregation in many cities throughout the country violence in nearly every American city and state Black Americans were prevented from finding good jobs buying homes and attending decent schools Many lived in segregated neighborhoods where they patronized black-owned restaurants restaurants theaters clothing shops and taverns Black Americans were commonly commonly prohibited from using public spaces including swimming pools parks and restrooms Life was particularly difficult for black Americans living in the South and in rural areas of the Midwest The racist group the Ku Klux Klan KKK was a powerful social and political force in many states Mayors police chiefs and even state legislators and governors were among its millions of members The KKK terrorized terrorized black communities and lynched to kill someone by mob action for an alleged crime countless black Americans to prevent them from exercising their civil rights This terrorism coupled with poor economic conditions and race riots in many cities led many black southerners southerners to uproot their lives In what is called the Great Migration millions of African Americans moved to industrial cities in the North such as New York City where there was a greater degree of freedom and opportunity A Great Awakening 9
