The Harlem Renaissance was a movement in the 1920s that is characterized by a rebirth of African-American heritage and cultural expression.  Artists of the Harlem Renaissance wove a tapestry of the stories, expressions, and experiences of African-Americans into their works.  This expression of African-American culture spread through the popular culture of the 1920s and helped to establish strong feelings of community and empowerment among African-Americans in New York and other areas of the United States.

            Between 1910 and 1920, a movement of thousands of African-Americans uprooted their lives in the South and moved to the North to escape the cycle of poverty and racism they had to endure in the South. This Great Migration led African-Americans to urban centers such as Chicago, Illinois and Harlem, New York hoping to find jobs and a greater sense of racial equality. The United States involvement in World War I created a demand for factory workers to produce resources for the war effort. This demand for workers raised African-Americans hope for a better life.

           The people who migrated to the North brought a pride in their cultural heritage.  This movement was referred to the Harlem Renaissance because it was a symbol for rebirth of  hope for African-Americans. The residents of Harlem shared a common appreciation for their experiences as African-Americans and writers, artists and musicians used this appreciation as a catalyst for a tremendous outpouring of creativity.  This artistic expression was embraced not only by African-Americans but by white audiences as well.
        
   Jazz gained widespread acceptance in the the 1920s.  This Jazz Age showcased a form of music that was a fusion of African rhythm, blues and ragtime sounds that created a unique style of music. Jazz originated in New Orleans and travelled to other parts of the country during the Great Migration. Jazz music was regularly performed in nightclubs in Harlem like the Cotton Club. Musicians like Bessie Smith, Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington gained popularity in a time that was characterized by the changing values, ideas, and expression of personal freedom of the American people.

            One of the largest elements of the Harlem Renaissance was a literary movement led by middle class African-Americans that celebrated their cultural history. African-American writers expressed black pride and identity and protested the racial discrimation that was present in a society that was dominated by white people. Langston Hughes was arguably the movements best known poet. Hughes poetry illuminated the struggles of daily life for African-Americans in his poems such as I, Too, Sing America and Dream Deferred. Other writers like Zora Neale Hurston and Alain Locke shared the same vision for the African-American experience in their writing.  This expression created a distinctive culture for African Americans.

           The Harlem Renaissance was a celebration of the African-American heritage as well as a platform to illustrate the struggles that African-Americans were experiencing in the 1920s.  This movement led to a greater appreciation of African-American heritage and created a unique cultural experience that served as a source of inspiration for African-American artists. Although the Harlem Renaissance was short-lived, its legacy has endured for generations.

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