In the early 1920s, America was a melting pan of cultures. Over the past century, many people from different cultures interacted in America. This interaction created the multi-layered culture of the U.S. Manhattan was the perfect example. Manhattan is home to people of many different cultures. Harlem Renaissance – a period marked by enlightenment in black culture and progress – was taking place within the city of Manhattan. People followed businessmen who followed the Great Migration. At one point, Manhattan had 60,000 black residents. New York was also the new center for book publishing, so it was the ideal place to host the Harlem Renaissance. Jazz music became a global phenomenon and many celebrities started running campaigns in Harlem within months. As the mock-up began to gain traction, it was also met with more opposition and a number of greedy patrons. Harlem Renaissance is a literary and black cultural movement that was both a success. However, the Harlem Renaissance also brought to light the black culture it aimed to integrate, failing in its goal of integrating black culture into America.
Harlem Renaissance was a time of hope for many black people who were tired and battle-hardened from World War I. It gave them a renewed sense of purpose in their fight against discrimination. As the Harlem Renaissance began, people flocked to the area to see the plays, such as Shuffle Along. This was a major event that made headlines, and helped to improve the way African Americans were portrayed in the media. Alain Locke, the author, presided over a dinner that celebrated African American writers. The event was called the Civic Club. Locke described the gathering of blacks from around the world to Manhattan as their “greatest experience”. Groups such as the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) provided enough protection for many people who could not speak out before. They used Crisis and other magazines to highlight the injustices that were happening to their people. Harlem received a lot of attention from magazines and progressive organizations. This helped to show the violence that was being perpetrated against it. Countee McKay & Claude McKay became too famous as they influenced so many people. This was a completely foreign concept to the rest America. Instead of promoting the acceptance of Black culture, the people began to see it as an exotic thing to see.
Harlem Renaissance was no different. W.E.B. For example, W.E.B. Du Bois had a large following in New York, and many of them were eager to share their views. Langston Hughes describes his desire to live in Harlem and get a job. As a young person, he said, “I wanted nothing else but to go there and cultivate my culture.” Hughes went on to say that he would not care what others thought and that he would express himself and embrace the culture of Harlem. Hughes became a major figure in the Harlem Renaissance with the help of many of his poems describing the achievements and contributions of black people to society that were not given due credit. They became the faces of Harlem Renaissance and were able to showcase the movement to the entire world. Arthur Springarn spent a great deal of time in the movement and was able to support the figures. Springarn established the Springarn Medal to recognize black talent in a variety of fields. Hughes and Du Bois Du Bois, too, was a winner of this medal, and because it came with an impressive amount of cash, many were inspired to obtain one. Prior to this, media constantly made black people feel burdensome. This important transition couldn’t pass unnoticed. They fixed this stereotype by promoting the movements in a fashion that was endorsed by the leading figures.
Harlem has always been a hot topic. Many people avoid it, but others view it as a fun place to visit. Harlem was a place where people of all colors went to find comfort from the Puritainistic beliefs of the country. Restaurant and store owners took advantage of this popularity to expel black clients. Many grants, prizes, and awards were funded by white money. The majority of the establishments who published and recorded this great work were also white-owned. Carl Van Vechten is one example of a person who perpetuated the stereotypical images of blacks that had been set in earlier history. Some authors, who were trying to help promote the movement with good intentions, unintentionally portrayed black culture as hostile by urging more white people to embrace it. The movement became dependent on white patrons as they continued to fund it, and people who had achieved great success in the Harlem Renaissance were forced to serve the patrons rather than themselves. The Harlem Renaissance became so dependent on white money that it was no longer able to function. Only the patrons’ desires were communicated to the public. Some people put the people who were simply living and promoting culture on a high pedestal in order to gain money or control their earnings. This brought them into the spotlight. And as the richer people supported the movement, so did it become more visible.
They believe that they played a major role in the Harlem Renaissance. White people were initially amazed at how black people could advance literature and the arts. It is likely that patronage took place because white people were interested in seeing how the black culture would grow.
The Harlem Renaissance’s goal of fostering racial pride in black Americans was achieved. The Harlem Renaissance didn’t achieve all its goals, but it did allow them to accomplish the rest. Some people thought that the movement had failed, but it didn’t. It was necessary to bring attention to many people in the movement and to change the way the media portrayed black people. This meant that it was also necessary to draw attention to black culture. Harlem Renaissance as a black culture and major literary movement was not able to successfully blend black culture in America.
