Stacy's Harlem Renaissance

Stacy Halida

Literary Content Blog

Harlem Renaissance

            The Harlem Renaissance was major part of history, especially for the African American population. The Harlem Renaissance was a flourishing period of artistic and literary creation in African American culture. It all began with the increased militancy and racial pride symbolized by the 1919 parade of black veterans through Harlem and ended with the Great Depression. (encyclopedia)

            It was also a movement encompassing literature, art, and performing arts in the 1920s and 1930s centered in Harlem, New York. Many writers and artists were determined to expose a new light to many unrecognized black culture Harlem provided them with many opportunities to do so. (encyclopedia) (Jervis Anderson)

            The readings that we had it class had a lot to do with colored people, so the Harlem Renaissance was very prominent for these authors. Claude Mckay was talking about what he thought of America, and Langston Hughes also wrote about what he thought of America, and he had hope. This is what the Harlem Renaissance was all about, so it seemed.

            Langston Hughes poem, I, Too can have many interpretations but the line “they’ll see how beautiful I am, and be ashamed, I, too am America.” I think this means that one day everyone will be equal and when that day comes everyone who thought blacks will not be equal to whites will be ashamed for what they said. This also reminds me of the Harlem Renaissance because it was the time of prosperity and growth for the African American culture and population.

Works Cited

encyclopedia, Benets readers. "Harlem Renaissance." (n.d.): 2.

Jervis Anderson, A. Houston Baker, Irvin Huggins, Gloria T. Hull, David Lewis. "Harlem Renaissance." (n.d.).