Notes: The Harlem Renaissance
The Harlem Renaissance is the name given to the period from the end of WWI through the middle of
the 1930s Depression, during which a group of black writers produced a sizeable body of literature,
art, and music; the period was originally known as the “New Negro Movement.” However, the idea
that black literature, art, and music were “new” is obviously a misnomer; rather, this period represents
the first time whites and blacks alike legitimized works created by black Americans.
Historical Background:
“Great Migration”: 1900-1920, the exodus of blacks from the oppressive, economically downtrodden
South to more accepting, industrialized cities in the North, including New York City.
Prohibition: The 18th Amendment to the Constitution gave rise to the culture of the speakeasies and
club scene in Harlem. Whites and blacks alike frequented jazz clubs, giving rise to greater awareness
of black music.
World War I’s aftermath: Black and white writers and artists, disillusioned by the war’s destruction,
sought more foreign, exotic lifestyles, which Harlem could provide.
Back to Africa Movement: Marcus Garvey’s effort at improving racial consciousness, raising
awareness
Afro-American history, promoting black economic independence, and encouraging a return to Africa
was downplayed by intellectual black elites. However, it did succeed in promoting a reenergizing of
black culture among the working-class blacks.
Philosophical Foundation:
The notion of “twoness,” a divided awareness of one’s identity, was introduced by W.E.B. DuBois,
one of the founders of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and
the author of The Souls of Black Folks (1903): “One feels ever his two-ness – an American, a Negro;
two souls, two thoughts, two unreconciled stirrings: two warring ideals in one dark body.”
Common Themes:
Alienation and marginalization of African Americans from the mainstream culture
The use of folk/heritage material (atavism)
The use of the blues tradition
The problems of writing for an elite audience