1. How does a group of people change their social, economic and political positions in a democratic society? 1

2. HARLEM RENAISSANCE

3. “The Black Renaissance in the 1920s and 1930s, more popularly known as the Harlem Renaissance, represented the social and cultural efforts of the African Americans who have just been emancipated from slavery for a few decades. Such an outpouring of literary and artistic activities was stimulated by W.E.B. Du Bois and activist Marcus Garvey and the influx of a large number of migrants from the South to the urban centers of the North which brought along a large number of educated black men and women.” – Print, 1998 Vol. 52 3

4. SOME CONTEXT Violence against had been on the rise at the turn of the 20 th century (1900 NYC, 1919 St. Louis) As WWI began there were labor needs in the factories of the north Opportunities for AA in the northern factories 1910-1930 1.6 million, 1930-1970 6 million Some 350,000 AA served in World War I. Following WWI, African-American soldiers returned home seeking work Many felt they received better treatment in Europe than they did upon returning to their native land By 1919 the NYC neighborhood of Harlem became the epicenter of a cultural explosion for African Americans. 4

5. YOUR THOUGHTS, MR. LANGSTON HUGHES? "If white people are pleased we are glad. If they are not, it doesn't matter.... If colored people are pleased we are glad. If they are not, their displeasure doesn't matter, either. We build our temples for tomorrow; strong as we know how, and we stand on top of the mountain, free within ourselves." - Langston Hughes, The Negro Artist and the Racial Mountain (1926) 5

6. HOW DID IT BEGIN? Small theatres in Harlem begin to show AA in positive roles in the 1910s Shuffle Along (1921), musical of critical acclaim, opened on Broadway, legitimizes the AA musical to producers. Whites will pay to see an AA musical. NYC whites take interest in a culture they knew little about Producers of black shows, black dance clubs saw tremendous opportunities. Black writers, artists saw “art” as a way to change society to increase acceptance of AA Could it show intellectual “parity” with whites? 6

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8. HARLEM, USA 8

9. DIFFERENT MEN, DIFFERENT APPROACHES Alain Locke W.E.B. Du Bois Marcus Garvey 9 Booker T Washington

10. BOOKER T WASHINGTON Born in 1856 on a “white man’s tobacco farm”- mother a plantation cook, his father a white man from a nearby town. Went to go school, but never felt accepted. Family moved to West Virginia after the Emancipation Proclamation to work in a salt mine, later a houseboy to a wealthy woman Hampton Institute- new school for black boys- 500 miles- worked menial tasks to pay tuition Eventually became a teacher and principal at Hampton Pursued a career as an educator, eventually establishing the Tuskegee Institute of Alabama in 1881 Appreciated the dignity found in work- " There was no period of my life that was devoted to play. From the time that I can remember anything, almost everyday of my life has been occupied in some kind of labor." 10

11. BOOKER T WASHINGTON While a life long proponent of freedom and equality for African-Americans, he often proposed segregation as the means to his ends. Key quote… “In all things purely social we can be a separate as the fingers, yet one as the hand in all things essential to mutual progress.” Criticized for this stance of black self-reliance through hard work and segregation or accommodation with whites. Toward the end of his life it seems his thoughts shifted to protesting the stereotypical portrayal of blacks in the Birth of a Nation, 1915 A national park is located in his honor in Virginia 11

12. BOOKER T WASHINGTON Was principal of the Tuskegee Institute for more than 30 years Provided counsel to presidents Invited to speak at the predominantly white 1895 Atlanta Exposition- delivers the Atlanta Compromise Speech Washington soothed his listeners’ concerns about “uppity” blacks by claiming that his race would contend itself with living “by the productions of our hands” “We understand that talk of racial equality is folly” His accommodation style afforded him support from powerful whites, but criticism from other black leaders Accept segregation in return for economic cooperation 12

13. BOOKER T WASHINGTON “The longer I live and the more I study the question, the more I am convinced that it is not so much a problem as to what you will do with the Negro as what the Negro will do with you.”- Washington, 1896 Booker T believed the recently freed African Americans did not deserve the respect of white America Education of the African American man benefits all Elevate the man in society, provide him respect Completely rejected the victimization of the AA- not sentimental All Americans need better education/services This would remove the tension between the races KEY - USA can’t afford not to help the AA help himself; this modern industrial society will be dragged down by any depressed group- Education and jobs is the way to correct the mistakes of the past 13

14. W.E.B. DU BOIS, 1868-1963 American civil rights activist, leader, Pan-Africanist, sociologist, educator, historian, writer, editor, poet, communist, founder of the NAACP and scholar Born in Massachusetts, free but surrounded by subtle, not so subtle racism- keen observer of race at an early age Intellectually gifted, sought to attend Harvard. Instead Fisk College, TN, then onto Harvard for 2 years. Years spent in the South opened his eyes to the discrimination, prejudice and poverty of the country 14

15. W.E.B. DU BOIS, 1868-1963 At Harvard studied philosophy, history, economics, social problems. “I was at Harvard but never a part of it.” Studied at the U. of Berlin- saw the race problem as American By 26 he felt ready to begin his life’s work, as a teacher. Began research into the conditions of blacks in America Taught at Atlanta University for 14 years- at this time ideological differences grew with Booker T Washington Coined the Atlanta Compromise speech; critical of Washington’s power “Talented Tenth” whose knowledge of modern culture could lead Blacks to higher civilization- leadership should come from our best 1903 “Souls of Black Folks”- 1906 Niagara Movement- advocate civil justice and end discrimination- by 1909 merged with local whites to form National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) 15

16. WEB DU BOIS Two Key Ideas The veil- three connotations Literally the darker skin of blacks-physical difference with white society White people’s lack of clarity to see blacks as true Americans Produces a lack of clarity for blacks to see themselves outside of what white America describes for them Double Consciousness- A “two-ness” lived and felt by blacks in America- blacks recognize at some point they must operate in two Americas An awareness of being an American and a African-American No true self-consciousness only through the veil “History cannot ignore W.E.B. Du Bois because history has to reflect truth and Dr. Du Bois was a tireless explorer and a gifted discoverer of social truths. His singular greatness lay in his quest for truth for his own people. There were very few scholars who concerned themselves with honest study of the black man and he sought to fill this immense void. The degree to which he succeeded disclosed the great dimensions of the man.” – Martin Luther King, Jr. 16

17. W.E.B. DU BOIS, 1868-1963 While Booker was advocating for industrial education, WEB for liberal arts, classical education Why? What good is the economic success without the vote?- the Talented Tenth will be the vehicle to getting all blacks accepted by white Americans “Not about making men into carpenters, its about making carpenters into men” Formed the NAACP in 1909 – National Association for the Advancement of Colored People NAACP magazine The Crisis main vehicle for influencing opinion His editorials often led to conflict with various segments of society- treatment of African Americans who served in WWI – “By the God of Heaven, we are cowards and jackasses if now that the war is over, we do not marshal every ounce of our brain and brawn to fight the forces of hell in our own land.” Died in Ghana on the eve of the March on Washington 17

18. REFLECT What is your veil? What keeps you from seeing the world? What limits people from seeing you as you really are? Is there a “two-ness” created in your life by your veil? What keeps you from removing your veil? Friends? Society? Expectations? You? Requirements: typed, thoughtful, follow the rules of grammar and punctuation, minimum 2 pages typed, double-spaced. Posted to turnitin.com Due on Friday, February 3rd 18

19. 19 1886-1954 The Architect of the Harlem Renaissance

20. 20 From Henry Louis Gates, Jr. "Harlem as a site of the black cultural sublime was invented by writers and artists determined to transform the stereotypical image of Negro Americans at the turn of the century away from their popular image as ex- slaves, as members of a race inherently inferior - biologically and environmentally unfitted for mechanized modernity and its cosmopolitan forms of fluid identity - into an image of a race of cultural bearers. To effect this transformation, a 'New Negro' was called for - quite urgently, many black intellectuals felt- and this New Negro would need a nation over which to preside. And that nation's capital would be Harlem, that realm north of Central Park, centered between 130th Street and 145th."

21. 21 Alain Locke Born to a middle class Philadelphia family Highly educated Teacher at Howard University, 1912-1953 Considered the most important singular person in promoting the Harlem Renaissance Believed that old ways of the thinking about African- Americans were just that, old. New image of blacks could be cemented in the minds of white America through artistic expression. Prolific writer, most famously his essay entitled, The New Negro (1925)

22. 22 Alain Locke The introduction to the essay offered the following; “ Negro life is not only establishing new contacts and founding new centers, it is finding a new soul. There is a fresh spiritual and cultural focusing. We have, as the heralding sign, an unusual outburst of creative expression. There is a renewed race-spirit that consciously and proudly sets itself apart. Justifiably then, we speak of the offerings of this book embodying these ripening forces as culled from the first fruits of the Negro Renaissance.” – A. Locke, The New Negro introduction Cultural pluralism- each culture group has identity, entitled to protect and promote it Race relations – put away pride and prejudice we could reconcile differences Cultural identity need not conflict with being an American Worked for the full social, political, cultural recognition for blacks

23. 23 Alain Locke A fixture of NYC upper crust, often accused of elitism, Euro centrism Consider the struggle he faced as a brilliant black man in a white academic world Viewed himself as the “midwife” to a generation of artists during the Harlem Renaissance Themes he pursued –The authenticity of “folk” culture and the danger of empty imitation of high culture –The need for a reinvigoration of democratic ideals and institutions, and the unique ability of African-Americans to address that need –The role that the "enlightened minorities" of each race must play in bringing the races together –Harlem as a race capital and the importance of an urban experience in promoting the cosmopolitan ideal

24. MARCUS GARVEY 1887-1940 Visionary, leader, businessman, separatist, convicted criminal, poet 24

25. MARCUS GARVEY 1887-1940 Jamaican born, largely self-taught, well travelled – came to Harlem in 1916- moderate message early on, -Booker comparisons A more radical approach by 1919- St. Louis race riots, treatment of WWI soldiers,etc Published Negro World, as the publication for the organization he founded, claimed 2 million followers- weekly, 5 cents Universal Negro Improvement Association Support African-American ventures- respect through economic strength Called for black businesses Liberation of colonized Africa; return to Africa; formed an army 25

26. MARCUS GARVEY 1887-1940 26 Did not seek integration with whites- Back to Africa Movement (colonization)– “to reclaim a fallen race”/ supported KKK Based on the disillusionment of blacks who moved north Asked where is my president? Where is my government? Felt black causes best served by building a black nation in Africa Created bitter enemies with people like du Bois Popularity waned when indicted for embezzlement, mail fraud- 2 yrs. in prison, then exiled- died in obscurity