Literary Period: Harlem

RenaissanceBy: Madison

Minor

Time Period• The time period for the Harlem Renaissance was approximately 1919-1940. • This literary period gave birth to “Jazz Music”

Artistic Conditions•Art played a major role in the

Harlem Renaissance. Artists like Palmer Hayden and many more made works of art that depicted the time period and showed the importance of blues.

Influence of Literature

•Literature definitely influenced the time period by showing the problems faced by African Americans in their daily lives. Marcus Garvey was an influential person during the Harlem Renaissance in literature.

The Great Migration

• This was a movement of African Americans from the South up to the North to escape racial issues, or at least to try to, to cities like Harlem, New York.

More About the Harlem Renaissance

• The thing most African Americans strived for during this time was to show the common people in America the struggles faced by African Americans, but along with this, a lot of the writers and artists of this time period helped people learn life lessons and were relatable in their works.

Difference From Other Time Periods• The major thing that makes the

Harlem Renaissance stand out from other time periods is the fact that this whole era was about African Americans in the cities up North who wanted to share with others the life they lived as African Americans.

Important Authors• The most famous writers

from this time period are Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, Jessie Fauset, and Claude Mckay.

Langston Hughes

•Hughes was probably the most well known writer of the Harlem Renaissance; he wrote poetry and described what his life was like in very detailed writing.•Most famous is “I, Too, Sing America”

Zora Neale Hurston

•She was a novelist an had a major impact on Harlem Renaissance•Most famous was Their Eyes Were Watching God

Jessie Fauset

•Her writings included essays and she worked as an editor for the NAACP journal The Crisis• She also wrote about the struggles of an interracial couple

Claude McKay

• Born in Jamaica• Best known for his novel Home To Harlem•Wrote several other novels as well, and also poetry.

Most Important Works

• The Weary Blues- Langston Hughes• Home To Harlem- Claude

McKay• Alain Locke- “The New Negro”

Political Conditions

•W.E.B. Dubois was the leading black politician and philosopher•Malcom X played a big role in this as well.

Religious Conditions• Many new beliefs were made that were contrary to previous beliefs • African Orthodox Church was formed• Gospel Music was formed

Social Conditions

• The reaction from Northerners to the Great Migration (blacks moving from the north to the south) was mixed, some liked it but some didn’t. • Factories in the north were built, which caused African Americans to move to the north to seek jobs.

“Back To Africa” Movement

• Created by Marcus Garvey• had the most extreme views of

the Harlem Renaissance when writing because he would use volatile language to stir up crowds and even named himself the Provisional President of Africa

•W.E.B. Dubois- organized first Pan African Congress• Charles A. Tinley- first African American to compose and publish hymns. • Thomas A. Dorsey- ‘Father of Gospel’

Religion

Time Period

• This was a time period After the Civil War• Most of the blacks were

middle-class and Harlem became and African American neighborhood in the early 1900s.

Final Note• The Harlem Renaissance was very important for African Americans and did a lot to help them earn Civil Rights during this time period and really show America the kinds of lives they were living.