The Harlem Renaissance

1
The Harlem Renaissance
2
Key Concepts

• Harlem Renaissance
• Post WWI northern migrations
• W.E.B. Du Bois
• Important actors of the H.R.
• Zora Neale Hurston
• Folk Plays

3
Overview

• H.R. is name of literary movement that originated
  in Harlem between 1917 1935
• Americans began to recognize richness of folklore
  and writings of African Americans
• Inspired by W.E.B. Du Bois and his magazine The
  Crisis
• Artists began to write poetry and short stories
  that described the African American experience

4
New York Artists

• After WWI
• African American soldiers returned home to find
  work
• Exposed to new cultures and attitudes towards
  non-whites
• Expected recognition and employment for war
  contributions
• Encountered racial backlash and anti-black
  sentiment

5
Northern Migration

• Violent race riots in South and Midwest including
• Arkansas, Kansas, Florida Chicago
• Lynching became more prevalent
• African Americans began to migrate to Northern
  cities
• Harlem grew to include almost 12 of the entire
  African American population

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W.E.B. Du Bois

• William Egbert Burghart DuBois
• First black graduate from Harvard University
• Founded NAACP
• Published Crisis Magazine (1910)
• http//www.thecrisismagazine.com/
• The Talented Tenth

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KRIGWA

• Very active in writing, publication and the arts
• Founded KRIGWA Little Theatre in 1926
• Crisis Guild of Writers and Actors (KRIGWA)
• African American theater should be About, By,
  For, and Near Blacks
• Plays included topics such as lynching and the
  Underground Railroad

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Lafayette Theatre

• Lafayette Theatre founded in 1916 by Charles
  Gilpin
• African American company but only performed white
  plays
• First time African Americans were able to see
  Black actors in serious instead of comedic roles

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Famous Actors of H.R.

• Charles Gilpin
• At 12 traveled with Williams Walker Vaudeville
  Company
• Worked with Anita Bush Company
• Founded Lafayette players
• 1920 Leading Role in Eugene ONeills The
  Emperor Jones

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Famous Actors of H.R.

• Florence Mills
• Queen of Happiness
• First black international female superstar of the
  Twentieth century
• Played lead in Shuffle Along
• Im little blackbird looking for a bluebird
• http//www.pcug.org.au/wegan/blackbird.mp3

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Famous Actors of H.R.

• Paul Robeson
• Athlete, singer, actor, activist
• Valedictorian at Rutgers, 1919
• Columbia Law School
• Stopped law when white secretary would not take
  diction
• Eugene O'Neill's All God's Chillun Got Wings in
  1924
• Widely recognized from the musical Showboat,
  where he changed the lines of the song "Old Man
  River". 
• http//www.npr.org/dmg/oldaudio.php?prgCodeTAVIS
  showDate26-Feb-2002segNum6
• http//www.youtube.com/watch?vOsGuxNOpY6M
• http//www.youtube.com/watch?v3hIolPMM2aE
• http//www.youtube.com/watch?v7oviVnZYgwY

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Zora Neal Hurston

• From Eatonville, Florida
• Most famous novel There Eyes Were Watching God
• Known for being eccentric and folky
• Disliked by many in HR community
• She referred to Harlem elite writes as
  Niggerati and white supporters as
  Negrotarians

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H.R. Venues

• Provincetown Playhouse
• Opened in 1916
• Launched the career of Eugene ONeil as an
  African-American playwright
• Catered to the negro crowds
• Cotton Club
• Opened in 1923 under gangster Owney Madden
• designed to bring about a sophisticated,
  plantation-style feeling, and enhanced this
  feeling, by featuring only black performers

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H.R. Venues

• Apollo Theatre
• Most famous venue for African-American theatre
• A place where stars are born and legends are
  made
• Launched the careers of hundreds of
  African-American performers such as Ella
  Fitzgerald, James Brown, Michael Jackson, and
  most recently Lauryn Hill.
• http//www.youtube.com/watch?vRQQ0xDsF5SM

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H.R. Video

• http//www.youtube.com/watch?vGlPaSgnjuOI