Harlem Renaissance

Movement North African American’s who headed north during the Great Migration of WW I hoped for two things – an escape from segregation and better jobs Though African Americans settled in many cities the center of the new artistic development, racial pride and political organization was in Harlem New York Thus the movement became known as the Harlem Renaissance

Artistic Celebration Harlem Renaissance writing had 3 main characteristics: Racial pride, a search for identity and contempt of racism The most prolific, original and versatile writer of this time was Langston Hughes The first stories with African American female lead characters were written by Zora Neale Hurston

Artistic Celebration Jazz music, brought up from New Orleans, produced the greatest cornet and trumpet soloist – Louis Armstrong Blues music gave us Bessie Smith better known as the “Empress of the Blues” Blues music has 3 main themes: Unfulfilled love, poverty/hard times, and oppression

Political Movement A new movement began in many cities known as “Negro Nationalism”. This was the glorification of the black culture and teachings of the past One of its leaders was Marcus Garvey. Garvey preached 2 main ideas – education would lead to political and economic power and blacks should seek independence and separation from whites His main message was blacks should “return to Africa” because they will never find justice or freedom in America The growing black middle class and intellectuals dismissed this part of Garvey’s message and he soon lost followers. The FBI worried that Garvey’s Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA) would lead to riots and they watched him very closely