What was the Harlem Renaissance ?
During the Harlem Renaissance from the 1920s to the mid 1930s, the Afro-American Harlem neighbourhood developed and bloomed through arts such as literature, music and painting. It was an intellectual movement with writers, poets and philosophers, but also a cultural movement with jazz musicians.
There was also the famous Civil Rights Movement led by Martin Luther King from 1950 to 1965 which reunited all black Americans to fight against its illegalities.
This cultural movement aimed to eliminate racial discrimination, and to show white Americans that Afro-American were Americans and that they were not just black.
Indeed has had a great impact is the US and around the world, because it changed the perception of white America about African-American.
Later the Civil Rights Movement led by Martin Luther King from 1950 to 1965 reunited all black Americans to fight for egality.
Some artists from the Harlem Renaissance
Langston Hughes
Was a poet, novelist and activist particularly known for his representations of black in America.
He moved to Harlem as a young man and lived there most of his adult life
In this poem Langston Hughes it deals with relationships between white and black people. Indeed the author shows us through this poem that black people are discriminated by white people because they don't consider him on an equal footing.
But he is optimistic for the future and believes that in the future the black people will be respected and considered as full American citizens.
Archibald Motley
was a painter known for his numerous painting defending the cause of black Americans like in his painting "the nightlife".
Indeed thanks to this painting, Archibald Motley wanted white people to realize that Afro-American were sophisticated people who could enjoy listening to music and dancing, then their clothes show that black people could be wealthy.
So Tanks to this painting some prejudiced whites probably realised that jazz club were safe place.