Essay about Harlem Renaissance

Submitted By alysspena
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Alyssa Pena
Mr.Pyles
English 11
7 February 2015
Impacts of the Harlem Renaissance Just because you are an average everyday person, does not mean you are not able to be an artist of any kind. In the 1920’s this was possible for any African American who had any type of money. In 1918 millions of African Americans decided they were going to move north as a result of the poor conditions in the South (Perry 1). This movement became known as the Great Migration. Many African Americans moved to Chicago or New York due to others already living there. Sadly “the Harlem Renaissance movement ended in the late 1930’s because of the Great Depression” (Hughes 1). 20 years later America went through a civil rights movement to get African Americans equal rights as whites. “The Harlem Renaissance is unusual among literary and artistic movements for its close relationship to civil rights and reform organizations” (Wintz 5). Many magazines came out that were crucial to the movement that were published by the NAACP and the NUL. The Harlem Renaissance of the 1920’s has helped open doors, grow influences, and change the minds of people about educated African Americans. Due to the Harlem Renaissance, many people who wanted to change their lives were able to do this in consequence of having some money. “Massive amounts of literature and art are being produced by an everyday person” (Perry 1). The African American community was able to become a serious source for literature, art and music. “…black artist make literature and art to reflect their feelings of sought freedom” (Perry 1). Being a part of the black culture made African Americans different and their art capable to stand out. The only people who were up to speed with the African American were other African Americans. The History website reports:
With much of the literature focusing on a realistic portrayal of black life, conservative black critics feared that the depiction of ghetto realism would impede the cause of racial equality. The intent of the movement was not political but aesthetic… The Harlem Renaissance influenced future generations of black writers, but it was largely ignored by the literary establishment after it waned in the 1930s. With the advent of the civil rights movement, it again acquired wider recognition. (History 1)
So many artist of all kinds were able to come out of the Renaissance and be recognized for their works. Harlem became a state of mind that was being shared by thousands of African American artists. African Americans were finally all able to stand up together and change history through their writings. A big impact of the Harlem Renaissance was the culture of music that came to rise. Jazz became the new popular type of music. From just this one type of tune many musicians were able to create their own that was back grounded off jazz. Such as doo wop and blues. “Thousands of city dwellers flocked night after night to see the same performers” (Harlem.. 1). The Renaissance gave the chance to many who never thought they would be good enough. “For the first time, white Americans could not look away” (The Harlem..1). Jazz was very easy to get into and it was very catchy for anyone to hate. The impact of jazz was not made just for African Americans it contributed to everyone. Singers like Jelly Roll Morton and Louis Armstrong were able to popularize jazz fever to audiences of white Americans as well as African Americans. Jazz was inspirable to people all over the United States. Langston Hughes, along with other writers and actors were able to rise to fame from the Renaissance. “Hughes cast off influences of white poets and wrote with rhythmic meter of blues and jazz” (The Harlem..1). He was able use white poets writing and form it into a new type of culture. Thousands of people throughout the United States have been inspired by his types of poetry. Jean Toomer was able to “capture the spirit of his times” (The Harlem..1). Toomer wrote many plays and
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