1. The Harlem Renaissance

2. Think about this…
“I, Too, Sing America”

3. The Origins of Harlem Harlem is in New York
Harlem was built in the 1800s as a suburb for white middle and upper classes
The influx of European immigrants caused the upper classes to abandon Harlem
The early 1900s and WWI brought southern blacks to the North

5. Expansion in Black communities
The Great industrial migration brought Blacks into the North and into big cities
Whites in these areas became fascinated by Black culture
The Great Migration expanded Black culture, communities, arts, music, and literary traditions

7. What is the Harlem Renaissance?
The Harlem Renaissance is a reaction to slavery, abolition, and Reconstruction
A reaction to Jim Crow Laws and Segregation in the South
An affirmation and embrace of the American Dream
Experimentation in Black culture, expression, economic freedom, and the arts

8. Cont… The Harlem Renaissance time period is debated
The movement lasted from the 1910s to the mid-1930s
The Great Depression brought the end to the movement

9. Music Genre: Jazz and Blues
Jazz was primarily a Southern “poor” Black genre
The new Jazz merged the sounds of poor Blacks with the instruments of elite blacks
Jazz is deeply rooted in the slave spirituals and southern music

10. Continuation… Jazz and the Blues gained popularity with Whites
The music industry provided a new financial avenue for Blacks
Louis Armstrong – “Hello Dolly”

11. Arts and Literature
The Harlem Renaissance brought various Black Artists and Writers to light
The artists focused on telling stories from a Black perspective
The works debated racism, empowerment, gender, economics, and issues within the Black Communities.