The Harlem Renaissance

The Harlem Renaissance was a period of time when African-American art progressed and expanded. Many people began to listen to, watch and appreciate arts written and preformed by African-Americans. The Harlem Renaissance started after WWI and lasted until the middle of the Great Depression in the 1930s. There were a few main leaders of the Renaissance and they made great impacts on the way African-American arts were seen. Everyone, even Caucasians, began to listen and appreciate African-American arts.

Some of the main leaders of the Harlem Renaissance were Counter Cullen, Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, James Weldon Johnson, Duke Ellington and Jack Johnson. All of these people changed the way that America saw African-Americans and their creativity in art. Each of the people that lead the Harlem Renaissance was not looking for someone to pity them, but someone to simply listen to them. Each of these people showed things about their emotions and feelings in their literature.

Langston Hughes' poetic works seemed to be designed with support for the African-American race and hope for the race's problems. Other poems of his were somewhat written with sadness and urgency for the African-American race to follow their individual dreams. The work of James Weldon Johnson showed people that no matter who you are, you might worship the same God as someone that you sincerely dislike. He showed people that religion might not have anything to do with race, if he meant to or not. Jack Johnson's work seemed to explain the point that everyone has emotions and anyone can write about then. His work showed that anyone can find a certain thing beautiful and that race, or any other factors, have nothing to do with that.

The leaders of the Renaissance changed the way that American Society saw African-Americans for the better and they would have not been able to do it if they were not united. The leaders of the Renaissance made success available for other African-American artists. The leaders of the Harlem Renaissance began preforming in underground clubs in front of both Caucasians and African-Americans. The few people that enspired all other African-Americans to show their creativity and true feelings really changed the way that African-Americans were seen. If it were not for these people the Harlem Renaissance would have never happened and some things might be different today. Anyone can express themselves some way or the other. The Harlem Renaissance was the event that broke through the wall holding African-American arts back.