Introduction
Harlem Renaissance was a period in history from 1918 to 1930. During this period, there was a literary and intellectual flowering of great cultural, economic and identity assertion among African Americans (Rowen and Brunner, 2007; Rhodes, nd). This great period strong artistic and intellectual movement of African Americans was characterized by the wave of literary works centered on Negroes, which means that some of the works were written by them, or some of the works were all about them, their history, or their culture (Rhodes, nd).
Technically, Harlem Renaissance cannot be considered a renaissance if the literal sense of the word is taken, because renaissance means rebirth, or revival. However, what happened during 1920s to 1930s was comparable to what occurred during the European Renaissance, which began in the 14th and 15th centuries. The European Renaissance was an upsurge of culture, science and entertainment that was expressed in art, writing, literature, politics, technology and many other areas. In a way, Harlem Renaissance was similar to European Renaissance, but the progressive change centered on one race and one country only. Nevertheless, both Renaissances represented a period of enlightenment which brought positive progressive changes to humanity (Rhodes, nd).
Why it happened
Originally, Harlem was a Dutch settlement situated on the north side of New York City. By the start of 19th century, there were just small concentrations of black people living in the lower part of Manhattan. However, as more black people migrated and settled in New York, Harlem became an Afro-American city (Brown, 2014; Kura Hulanda, nd). Furthermore, the increasing population of black people in Harlem turned it into a place with more successful and literate black people. Finally, by the 1920s, Harlem was largely identified as an African American community (Kura Hulanda, nd).
While the Blacks dominated the neighborhood, the economy was also improving as numbers of middle class Blacks prospered. In addition, there was also an increase in the number of Whites who discovered the charms of the Blacks in Harlem. Thus, the discrimination against Blacks during this period in Harlem lessened, encouraging more Blacks to move into Harlem. Also, this led to Harlem being one of the centers of the Negro movement where an increasing number of Blacks wanted more, had more to say, and aggressively wanted to change how they were treated. Lastly, there was a significant increase in the number of educated and literate Blacks during this period. Therefore, the Blacks were more aware that they had the perfect environment and people for a great wave of changes, which happened eventually (Kura Hulanda, nd).
Impact of the Harlem Renaissance
It is well known that literature is where the Harlem Renaissance had the most impact on. During the Harlem Renaissance, writers prospered with ideas that had a great influence on both Blacks and Whites. Also, it was by literature where the Blacks expressed themselves greatly. Many of the writers during the Harlem Renaissance showed what the Blacks are capable of, and how great the Blacks can be if given the opportunity. Although it was considered to be difficult to portray a positive image for the Negro during this period, the Harlem Renaissance succeeded in changing how the Whites view the Blacks (Rhodes, nd).
Harlem Renaissance is considered a great movement that had an influence to the people how they view the Blacks, which later helped end discrimination against Blacks. Since Harlem was a place where the Blacks had independent spirit, most of the Blacks believed that the life of a Negro could change if the evils and injustices of discrimination against Blacks were exposed to society. Thus, series of works and magazines were written to expose the discrimination against Blacks. Some of the well-known works from established magazines during this period were “The Negro Speaks of Rivers” by Langston Hughes which appeared in the magazine Crisis, and “If We Must Die” by Claude McKay which was published in the magazine The Messenger (Rhodes, nd).
Another importance of the Harlem Renaissance was how it helped to acknowledge the artistic side of the Blacks especially in visual arts. Black painters became famous for expressing themselves as sensitive and dignified characters, displacing the stereotypical comic characters. Also, the artists applied African styles and motifs, which was later recognized very well as distinct by various artists (Kura Hulanda, nd).
Less discussed but an important impact of the Harlem Renaissance was its positive influence on business and economy of the Blacks. Harlem Renaissance started a real estate boom producing a concentration of Blacks in one neighborhood. Many of the Black communities, such as Harlem, prospered because of an economic boom expressed by the increase of stores, banks, funeral homes, photographer, theaters and lots of other commercial establishments. This economic boom later led to attractions of many immigrants from different places. There was also a high activity of business and professional people, which later led to improvements of families and businesses. Thus, Harlem Renaissance was a great help for the economy of the Blacks and Black communities (Kura Hulanda, nd).
Summary
In summary, Harlem Renaissance was a period during 1920s to 1930s of intellectual and literary improvement of the Negroes which started the Negro movement which aimed to end discrimination, and change how the Blacks were viewed and treated. Harlem was the center of the Renaissance. The Harlem Renaissance happened because there was an increase in the number of literate and educated blacks, and was concentrated on small communities, such as Harlem. It happened because there was an increasing awareness among Blacks that there was a need for the world to see the evils and injustices of discrimination. Harlem Renaissance was important because it helped create a positive image for the Blacks against the stereotypical characters given by other people. It had a great influence on how the people see the Blacks. The Harlem Renaissance had impacts on literature as more and more Blacks had the passion to write about themselves, and portray an image that well defines the Blacks. Also, visual artists became well known to arts societies because of recognition of African styles in painting and sculptures. Lastly, the economy of the Blacks, and ultimately the whole society, boomed as businesses and professionals prospered.
References
Brown, Bryan. (2014, February 17). The Harlem Renaissance. Scholastic: News for your classroom. Retrieved From (http://magazines.scholastic.com/news/2014/02/The-Harlem-Renaissance)
Kura Hulanda Resorts Curacao. (nd). Temporary: Harlem Renaissance. Retrieved From (http://www.kurahulanda.com/temporary-harlem-renaissance)
Rhodes, Henry. (nd). The Social Contributions of The Harlem Renaissance. Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute. Retrieved From (http://www.yale.edu/ynhti/curriculum/units/1978/2/78.02.08.x.html)
Rowen, Beth and Brunner, Borgna. (2007). The birth of the Harlem Renaissance. Information Please: Great Days in Harlem. Retrieved From (http://www.infoplease.com/spot/bhmharlem1.html)
