Vocabulary/Identification Zora Neale Hurston James Weldon Johnson Marcus Garvey Harlem Renaissance Claude McKay Langston Hughes Louis Armstrong Duke Ellington Bessie Smith Paul Robeson

The Harlem Renaissance Chapter 13 – 4 The Harlem Renaissance

Chapter 13 – 4 Objectives Identify the causes and effects of the migration of African-Americans to Northern cities in the early 1920’s. Identify and describe the major artist of the Harlem Renaissance movement.

African – American Voices of the 20’s As the 20’s begin, African-Americans begin to set new goals as they move in mass from the south to the north. This new attitude is best captured by the statement, “Black is beautiful”. The Harlem Renaissance represented a portion of a great social and cultural change, characterized by economic prosperity, new ideas, changing values and personal freedom.

African – American Voices of the 20’s Even through the northern cities held a promise of a better life, many northerners did not welcome the influx of African-Americans. Prior to the 1920’s, racial tensions increased. 1919 saw the number of urban riots take hold in approximately 25 cities.

African – American Voices of the 20’s National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Founded by WEB DuBois in 1909, and lead by James Weldon Johnson, the NAACP encouraged peaceful protest against racial violence.

African – American Voices of the 20’s National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Campaigned for anti-lynching laws. Pushed for equal rights for African-Americans. The NAACP’s magazine, “The Crisis”, served as its platform to advocate for civil rights.

African – American Voices of the 20’s Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA) Founded by Marcus Garvey in 1914, advocating the position that African-Americans should build a separate society back in Africa. Garvey hoped that his radical message would inspire black pride and lead the majority of African-Americans to push for a back to Africa movement.

African – American Voices of the 20’s Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA) By the mid 1920’s, Garvey claimed that he had over 1 million followers. By the latter part of the 1920’s Garvey was convicted of mail fraud and jailed, and both Garvey’s message and membership began to dwindle.

African – American Voices of the 20’s Zora Neale Hurston African-American writer who wrote books of folklore, poems and short stories that focused on the life of poor, uneducated southern African-Americans.

African – American Voices of the 20’s Claude McKay Jamaican immigrant and a writer of militant prose that urged African-Americans to resist prejudice and discrimination. His book “Cane”, a mixture of poems and sketches about blacks in the North and South was among the first full length literary publication of the Harlem Renaissance.

African – American Voices of the 20’s Langston Hughes One of the best know poets of the times. He often used his works to describe the lives and hardships of working class African-Americans. It has been suggested that the tempo of his poems moved to the tempo of jazz or blues music.

African – American Voices of the 20’s Paul Robeson One of the major dramatic actors of the times. The son of a one time slave, Robeson struggled with racism and his support of communism. Leaving the U.S., Robeson took up residence in London and the Soviet Union.

African – American Voices of the 20’s Louis Armstrong Talented horn player, he joined the Creole Jazz Band in 1922. His ability to improvise and strong sense of rhythm led him to become one of the most influential musicians of the times.

African – American Voices of the 20’s “Duke” Ellington During the 20’s, Harlem musical scene flourished. Ellington, a pianist and composer led his band at the famed Cotton Club. Ellington had the ability to transcend racial barriers with his music. Many whites flocked to the Cotton Club to listen to his music.

African – American Voices of the 20’s Bessie Smith Considered by many as an outstanding vocalist of the decade. She recorded on black-oriented label produced by the major record companies. By 1927, Smith was the world’s highest paid black artist in the world.