A period of uncompromising artistic expression and influence, the Harlem Renaissance began a golden age of African-American culture in 1920s New York City. The neighborhood of Harlem became the epicenter of Black music, literature, and more. Pursuing greater opportunities and avoiding the harsh persecution by white supremacists in the south, northbound black families took part in what we now refer to as “The Great Migration,” forming something of a new middle class in New York and other parts of the country. A spiritual and social revolution, the Harlem Renaissance shaped African-American culture and popularized many artforms still prevalent to this day. While new poetry, painting, and fashion trends emerge, jazz took the popular culture by storm.
One of the most influential periods of music in modern history, the Harlem Renaissance’s vibrant, lively jazz played in musical theaters, speakeasies, and nightclubs. The cotton club was a segregated, whites-only nightclub that exclusively featured the biggest and best African-American celebrities of the time. The club was praised for introducing audiences to the rapidly growing culture of Harlem, but criticized by many for its demeaning, “Jim Crow” like atmosphere. One such critic, Langston Hughes, was one of the most influential poets of the era, writing genre-spanning poems about the hardships, joys, thoughts, and experiences of Black Americans. Seen as a de facto leader in the Harlem Renaissance, Hughes inspired an abundance of writers and musicians, each influential in their own right. Alongside many other young writers and artists, Zora Neale Hurston would contribute to “FIRE!!,” a magazine dedicated to eradicating dated ideals among African-Americans, pushing a younger, progressive perspective through storytelling, artistry, and community-building. While the magazine didn’t last long, Hurston and her colleagues would go on to find success in other ways, with Hurston herself going on to some of the most significant pieces of American literature, including Their Eyes Were Watching God in 1937.
Iconic jazz legends shaped their legacy during the Harlem Renaissance, with heavy-hitters like Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, and Billie Holiday. Each elevated jazz through their masterful control of their instruments, big band orchestration, innovation of ideas (including scatting), and emotive vocal talent. Equally legendary were the performances of actor/singer Paul Robeson and Josephine Baker. Robeson rose to stardom by challenging the preconceived expectations of the deeply racist “minstrel play” roles, instead opting for nuanced, central roles in Shakespeare performances and the like. Baker also pushed boundaries, rising to stardom for her energetic and celebrated dance performances in Shuffle Along on Broadway.
The Harlem Renaissance is a crucial part of American history, shaping a culture and introducing the nation to new generations of artists and philosophers. It was an era of celebration and reflection, and, while it wasn’t an ultimate solution to segregation, it certainly paved the way for the Civil Rights movement down the line, creating a popular African-American culture full of deeply thoughtful art and music.