1. Intro to The Harlem Renaissance

2. “Harlem is indeed the great Mecca for the sight-seer; the pleasure seeker, the curious, the adventurous, the enterprising, the ambitious and the talented of the whole Negro world.“ –Alain Locke

4. Harlem Renaissance: What is it?
Period in the early 20s where African American creativity and thought redefined
Young writers, artists, and musicians saw Harlem as a place to express themselves

5. Why Harlem? Many African Americans move north to
Find a better education for their children
Employment opportunities
Escape racism
With end of WWI there is an emphasis on creating African American communities in the north

6. Characteristics
African Americans gain access to “engines of public opinion”
Magazines such as Crisis and Opportunity promote black viewpoints and gain readership
African Americans work together for similar goals

7. Characteristics cont’d
Break down racial stereotypes
Emphasized beauty and significance of American black experience
Celebrated the creativity of black Americans
Optimism about African Americans’ future

8. Not just literature…
Musicians and Artists also find a voice during this time period
Development of modern jazz is associated with the Harlem cabarets

9. Trends in Poetry Two types of poetry emerge:
Experimental verse inspired from African American music (spirituals, jazz).
Exploration of traditional verse patterns

10. A Brief Timeline…
—around 2 million African Americans begin to move north
1910—The National Association for the Advancement of Colored (NAACP) People is founded
1917—10,000-15,000 African Americans march in the silent protest parade down Fifth Avenue
1917—Poet Claude McKay gets published in a white literary jounal
1921—Musical Shuffle Along opens on Broadway, which some believe sparked the Harlem Renaissance

11. Timeline Cont.
1922—First major book of the Harlem Renaissance, a novel by Claude McKay, is published
1923—Pianist and composer Duke Ellington arrives in New York
1923—Harlem’s most famous Cabaret, the Cotton Club, opens
1925—Jazz is showcased in the “First American Jazz Concert” in NY
1926—Langston Hughes’s first volume of poetry is published

12. Timeline
These are only a few events. The renaissance would continue into the mid 1930s.

13. Images of Harlem