The Harlem Renaissance: Impact Of The Harlem Renaissance

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Introduction Harlem Renaissance was a period in history from 1918 to 1930. During this period, there was a literary and intellectual flowering of great cultural, economic and identity assertion among African Americans (Rowen and Brunner, 2007; Rhodes, nd). This great period strong artistic and intellectual movement of African Americans was characterized by the wave of literary works centered on Negroes, which means that some of the works were written by them, or some of the works were all about them, their history, or their culture (Rhodes, nd). Technically, Harlem Renaissance cannot be considered a renaissance if the literal sense of the word is taken, because renaissance means rebirth, or revival. However, what happened during 1920s to …show more content…
During the Harlem Renaissance, writers prospered with ideas that had a great influence on both Blacks and Whites. Also, it was by literature where the Blacks expressed themselves greatly. Many of the writers during the Harlem Renaissance showed what the Blacks are capable of, and how great the Blacks can be if given the opportunity. Although it was considered to be difficult to portray a positive image for the Negro during this period, the Harlem Renaissance succeeded in changing how the Whites view the Blacks (Rhodes, nd). Harlem Renaissance is considered a great movement that had an influence to the people how they view the Blacks, which later helped end discrimination against Blacks. Since Harlem was a place where the Blacks had independent spirit, most of the Blacks believed that the life of a Negro could change if the evils and injustices of discrimination against Blacks were exposed to society. Thus, series of works and magazines were written to expose the discrimination against Blacks. Some of the well-known works from established magazines during this period were “The Negro Speaks of Rivers” by Langston Hughes which appeared in the magazine Crisis, and “If We Must Die” by Claude McKay which was published in the magazine The Messenger (Rhodes, …show more content…
Harlem was the center of the Renaissance. The Harlem Renaissance happened because there was an increase in the number of literate and educated blacks, and was concentrated on small communities, such as Harlem. It happened because there was an increasing awareness among Blacks that there was a need for the world to see the evils and injustices of discrimination. Harlem Renaissance was important because it helped create a positive image for the Blacks against the stereotypical characters given by other people. It had a great influence on how the people see the Blacks. The Harlem Renaissance had impacts on literature as more and more Blacks had the passion to write about themselves, and portray an image that well defines the Blacks. Also, visual artists became well known to arts societies because of recognition of African styles in painting and sculptures. Lastly, the economy of the Blacks, and ultimately the whole society, boomed as businesses and professionals

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