In 1904 several middleclass African American families moved away from the decaying conditions of Black Bohemia of midtown into the newly-built suburb of Harlem. This initiated a move north of educated African Americans and a foothold into Harlem. In 1910

1
Harlem Renaissance

• In 1904 several middleclass African American
  families moved away from the decaying conditions
  of Black Bohemia of midtown into the newly-built
  suburb of Harlem. This initiated a move north of
  educated African Americans and a foothold into
  Harlem. In 1910 a large block along 135th and
  Fifth Ave was bought up by various African
  American realtors and a church group. These
  purchases caused a "white flight" and lowered
  real estate prices.

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A
3
B
1920
1990
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From the reading and pictures, answer the
following questions

• PART A
• What is white flight and what caused it?
• Why did Blacks move north?
• Picture A
• How is this picture different from today? Write
  down at least 5 ways that it may be different.
• Picture B
• What do you think happened to the neighborhood in
  the bottom picture? Why do you think it looks
  more run down than the top picture?

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Harlem Renaissance

• There were various patrons of the arts, both
  black and white, including the very wealthy
  A'Lelia Walker who ran an influential salon, the
  Dark Tower from her home, Countee Cullen (the
  Romantic poet), Nora Thurston Zeale
  (anthropologist), Langston Hughes (playwright and
  poet) Three main political figures kept the hopes
  of freedom for African Americans alive and made
  Harlem a political hotbed of activities. The
  three figures were W.E.B. Dubois, the James
  Weldon Johnston and finally the charismatic Black
  Nationalist Marcus Garvey.

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Harlem Renaissance

• As World War I approached, a shortage of labor
  ensued at the generous supply of European
  unskilled labor ceased to flow into New York
  City. From the southern states came vast numbers
  of African Americans attracted not only by the
  prospect of paid labor but an escape from the
  inherent inequities and blatant institutional
  racism of the South.

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Harlem Renaissance

• PART B
• Choose one of the major players (anyone in red)
  of the movement. Research and write a 10
  sentence biography about their life.

8
The Arts

• PART C
• The Harlem Renaissance gave way to many new forms
  of expression for African Americans.
• View the next three slides that detail Harlem
  Renaissance art. Choose a piece of art that you
  like and analyze it using the worksheet.

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A farm family is up with the chickens and the
daily ritual of hard work has begun, from
gathering water to plowing the fields. Their
one-room house, shaded by a single tree, is as
humble as the family is stoic in dealing with the
cyclical nature of their rural existence in the
South. Based on strong contrasts in color and the
energy of diagonals, this dynamic composition
banishes any impression of an idyllic pastoral
scene and delivers instead powerful commentary on
black labor, inspired by Johnson's childhood
experiences as a native of rural South Carolina.

• William H. Johnson
• Early Morning Workabout 1940oil38 1/2 x 45 5/8
  in.Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the
  Harmon Foundation

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During the 1930s, Sargent Johnson executed
several copper masks and sculptures based on
African examples. Johnson explained his intent
saying It is the pure American Negro I am
concerned with, aiming to show the natural beauty
and dignity in that characteristic lip and that
characteristic hair, bearing, and manner and I
wish to show that beauty not so much to the White
man as to the Negro himself.

• Sargent Johnson
• Maskabout 193035copper on wood base15 1/2 x
  13 1/2 x 6 in.Smithsonian American Art Museum,
  Gift of International Business Machines
  Corporation

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Street Life, Harlem celebrates the people and
dynamic energy of Harlem in the late 1930s.
Johnson had many opportunities to experience its
night life during the four years he taught art at
the Harlem Community Art Center. These were
vibrant years in Harlem, when positive portrayals
of everyday life strengthened the sense of
community that was such an important aspect of
African American culture

• William H. Johnson
• Street Life, Harlemabout 1939--40oil45 3/4 x
  38 5/8 in.Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift
  of the Harmon Foundation

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Langston Hughes PART D
Write down 5 facts about Langston Hughes. Click
on his picture to take you to a website about
him. How did he contribute to the Harlem
Renaissance?
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Langston Hughes PART E

• Listen or read Langston Hughes poem The Negro
  Speaks of Rivers.
• As the poem is read write down your thoughts,
  emotions, ideas of what the poem means.

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Duke Ellington PART F

• Open PBS Biographies Duke Ellington. You are
  going to listen to three jazz tunes by Duke
  Ellington, a famed musician and composer of the
  Harlem Renaissance. Click on 3 of the audio
  samples on the website.
• When youre finished listening to the song clips
  write what song you listened to and describe the
  mood that each of the musical selections evokes.

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Overview PART G

• What were you able to learn about the Harlem
  Renaissance by listening to jazz music? Write a
  12 sentence paragraph that explains the Harlem
  Renaissance.
• ... by listening to an essay?
• ... by looking at paintings?
• ... by listening to a poem?
• ... by reading historical data?
• ... by browsing a website?