PRESENTATION OUTLINE
After many harsh years of slavery, African Americans were in great need of happiness and celebration. Because of this, a time of fun, art, and music was born. We call this era the Harlem Renaissance.
THE GREAT MIGRATION:
The Great Migration relocated thousands of African Americans from the south to the north. Many realized they shared common experiences from their harsh, past life. Instead of feeling sorry for themselves they showed cultural pride! This ignited the Harlem Renaissance.
REMEMBER-
The art, music, and literature began in Harlem but didn't stay there. Once people recognized the arts it began to spread throughout the whole country, impacting African Americans.
MUSIC:
Jazz was one of the most popular aspects of the Harlem Renaissance. It brought thousands of people out to the streets to watch jazz bands preform. Famous African American jazz singers such as Bessie Smith and Billie Holiday made jazz vocals very popular during that time.
MUSIC { SLIDE 2 }:
Another famous person who impacted African American Renaissance was Duke Ellington, who was a composer, pianist and bandleader of jazz orchestras. He attracted huge audiences along with Jelly Roll Morton and Louis Armstrong. Jazz made African Americans endure in culture & forget the harsh past.
LITERATURE:
One of the most famous writers of the Harlem Renaissance was Langston Hughes. He not only impacted African Americans but white people too. He wrote plays, poems, and novels. Another writer who impacted African Americans was Claude McKay. He pushed African Americans to stand up for themselves & fight for their rights.
LITERATURE { SLIDE 2 }:
Jean Toomer captured the spirit of his time with his writings. He wrote many plays and short stories. He helped African Americans forget the past and focus on the good times through his writing.
ART:
Painters Palmer C. Hayden, Malvin Gray Johnson, and Laura Wheeler Waring drew bold portraits of African Americans during this time. Their art drew attention from everyone. Also in Los Angeles, the Museum of Art contains "Rhapsodies in Black: Art of the Harlem Renaissance"
As you can see the Harlem Renaissance brought along many changes in African American music, art, and literature which is why this spark was so significant.
CITATIONS
The Harlem Renaissance." Ushistory.org. Independence Hall Association, n.d. Web. 10 May 2014.
"Duke Ellington | Music Biography, Credits and Discography | AllMusic." AllMusic. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 May 2014.
Works Cited
"African American Art: Harlem Renaissance." African American Art: Harlem Renaissance. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 May 2014.
"Langston Hughes." Poets.org. Academy of American Poets, n.d. Web. 11 May 2014.
