The Harlem Renaissance

                                                          



After World War I, large numbers of African-Americans, who had been living in the rural South, began moving north to urban centers, such as New York, Washington, D.C., and Chicago. Most of the people had witnessed discrimination firsthand. They were intent on finding better work and a more prosperous lifestyle, minus the social injustice.

Out of this migration, a period of much literary and artistic creativity followed. What began as a literary discussion between African-American writers eventually extended to other areas, such as music, theater, art, and science. This activity or movement became known as the Harlem Renaissance. It gets its name from a section of New York City's West Side called Harlem, where the largest urban African-American community at the time had taken root. African-American poets, writers, artists, and musicians flocked to Harlem because it was a showcase for their talents.

While literature was the first and major focus of this renaissance, the most fascinating aspect, to white Americans, was the music that came out of this movement. Jazz became the most popular style of music during this period. White people flocked to the Harlem nightclubs to hear the African-American artists perform.

One of the most famous jazz musicians was a trumpet player bu the name of Louis "Satchmo" Armstrong. We listened to his song "It's a Wonderful World" in class. Originally from New Orleans, he began playing a little tin horn while still a small child. Eventually, he learned to play the trumpet and brought his talent to cities in the North, such as Chicago and New York's Harlem.

Tomorrow, our class will look at some literature and music from this era. We will also have our vocabulary quiz, turn in our rhetorical analysis, and outlines. See you then!