In the review of the “The Harlem Renaissance and the heritage of slavery, cultural Trauma” written by Ron Eyerman, provides a clear historical background of the Harlem Renaissance in art. The Harlem Renaissance became one of the most influential artistic movements that entailed the identity of the African Americans. Its original importance in accordance to Ron (89) was to serve the minority groups in the society at that times of which were the African Americans. Harlem Renaissance in accordance to the film “Against the Odds” clearly provides a overview of how the period used to be and what it used to stand for.
The Harlem Renaissance in accordance to Ron created a consciousness of African-Americans identity through art (Against the odds). In addition, the renaissance was somehow a wakening up call to the whites to acknowledge the existence of the African-Americans as not slaves, but as an ethnic group that longed to be heard after many years of living as the minority group (Ron 92).
In field of art, many people still remember the Harlem Renaissance as an explosion of vast creativity and talent from the African-Americans after the 1920s. The Renaissance represented a radical change and the need for the society at that time to change their perspective in regard to racism and accept the African Americans as equals in the society (Ron 94). The Harlem Renaissance not only involved art but extended to embrace dance, art, music and even got expressed in books and poetry. It is via the creative minds that introduced the Harlem Renaissance as an artistic expression with the aim of creating identity for the African Americans, so as not to be viewed as slaves, but humans who have the ability to express themselves (Ron 102).
Work Cited
Eyerman, Ron. The Harlem Renaissance and the heritage of slavery, Cultural Trauma:
Slavery and the Formation of African American Identity. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2001. Pp. 89-129. Print.
Film: Against the Odds: the artists of the Harlem Renaissance
