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The Harlem Renaissance

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The Harlem Renaissance
The Harlem Renaissance
The Harlem Renaissance was a cultural movement influenced by the Great Depression also known as "New Negro Movement" taking place between 1918- 1937. These concerns began after The Great Migration. The Great Migration was the movement of hundreds of blacks from the economically depressed rural south to the north. African Americans moved to the North in order to take advantage of the employment opportunities created by World War II. It was the most influential movement in African American literary history. It embraced literary, musical, theatrical, and visual arts. The movement laid the groundwork for all later African American literature and had an enormous impact on subsequent black literature and consciousness worldwide. The social foundations of this movement included the Great Migration of African Americans from rural to urban spaces and from South to North, the dramatically rising levels of literacy, the creation of national organizations dedicated to African American civil rights, and opening socioeconomic opportunities. While the renaissance was not confined to the Harlem district of New York City, Harlem attracted talent and served as the symbolic capital of this cultural awakening. Harlem was an artistic experimentation and a popular nightlife destination. Its location helped give the “New Negroes” visibility and opportunities for publication. Located just north of Central Park, Harlem was a formerly white residential district and by the early 1920s was becoming virtually a black city within the borough of Manhattan. African American writers attempted to differentiate their work from that of what was known then as the “Harlem movement” or the “Negro renaissance” of the previous decade. Most remembered are Hughes, Hurston, Du bois, and Brown. Moreover, the movement of the 1920s had opened the doors of publishing houses and theatres. Even in the midst of the Depression, African American writing continued to appear. Black actors

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