“If you are silent about your pain they’ll kill you and say you enjoyed it.”-Zora Neale Hurst It is words like these that made African-Americans want to bring about change. Most think the Harlem Renaissance was just about partying and having a good time, but it was so much more. The Harlem Renaissance was about Blacks being able to change their lives and others lives for the better. Life in the South was rough that is why many people moved to New York to find a better living situation and in turn they created a movement that changed the United States. The Harlem Renaissance changed America through literature, politics and entertainment.
First, The Harlem Renaissance changed America through literature. During the years …show more content…
One of the main sources of entertainment was music and dancing. During the Harlem Renaissance Jazz became very popular because it became “the people’s music” and it “was a way of life.” ("Harlem Renaissance Music", 2012) Jazz was a source of entertainment that wasn 't expensive to go to so everyone could enjoy it. Jazz was an improvised type of music, so two performances would never be the same. Most of the time Jazz musicians (Duke Ellington & Louis Armstrong) played in clubs like the Cotton Club. The Cotton clubs showcased the black musicians to the whites and for once the white Americans couldn’t look away from the talent black people had. Another source of entertainment was Broadway shows and musicals. The most famous one is Shuffle Along. Shuffle Along is the first serious African-American Broadway musical. Shuffle Along is a romance story about African-Americans falling in love and running for mayor. Shuffle Along came out during a time where there had been no successful African-American Broadway musicals in ten years. (Jo Tanner , 2012 ) Shuffle Along went against the stereotypes about African-Americans and gave a creative new outlook on the lives of African-Americans. The musical inspired others to do the same. It made African-Americans proud because it was an all-black cast who were changing the lives of everyone. No longer would whites just think that blacks were meant to be funny, but now they can see blacks as serious contenders. Shuffle Along set the foundation for many more plays to follow in its footsteps of being unique and creative. Shuffle Along "started a whole new era for blacks on Broadway, as well as a whole new era for blacks in all creative fields." (Jo Tanner , 2012 )Shuffle Along opened the doors for many more people. The Harlem Renaissance changed America through changing stereotypes and making everyone feel
First, The Harlem Renaissance changed America through literature. During the years …show more content…
One of the main sources of entertainment was music and dancing. During the Harlem Renaissance Jazz became very popular because it became “the people’s music” and it “was a way of life.” ("Harlem Renaissance Music", 2012) Jazz was a source of entertainment that wasn 't expensive to go to so everyone could enjoy it. Jazz was an improvised type of music, so two performances would never be the same. Most of the time Jazz musicians (Duke Ellington & Louis Armstrong) played in clubs like the Cotton Club. The Cotton clubs showcased the black musicians to the whites and for once the white Americans couldn’t look away from the talent black people had. Another source of entertainment was Broadway shows and musicals. The most famous one is Shuffle Along. Shuffle Along is the first serious African-American Broadway musical. Shuffle Along is a romance story about African-Americans falling in love and running for mayor. Shuffle Along came out during a time where there had been no successful African-American Broadway musicals in ten years. (Jo Tanner , 2012 ) Shuffle Along went against the stereotypes about African-Americans and gave a creative new outlook on the lives of African-Americans. The musical inspired others to do the same. It made African-Americans proud because it was an all-black cast who were changing the lives of everyone. No longer would whites just think that blacks were meant to be funny, but now they can see blacks as serious contenders. Shuffle Along set the foundation for many more plays to follow in its footsteps of being unique and creative. Shuffle Along "started a whole new era for blacks on Broadway, as well as a whole new era for blacks in all creative fields." (Jo Tanner , 2012 )Shuffle Along opened the doors for many more people. The Harlem Renaissance changed America through changing stereotypes and making everyone feel