During the 1920s and into the 1930s, African American literature flourished during the Harlem Renaissance. Known mostly for the emergence of great literature by black authors, the Harlem Renaissance, also known as the New Negro Movement, was a result of several factors. Before the Renaissance, thousands of blacks migrated from the South to the Northern industrial cities as more employment opportunities became available during World War I. In addition, the black middle class was increasing and more educational opportunities were available to blacks. Centered in the Harlem neighborhood of New York City, the movement impacted urban centers throughout the United States. Across the cultural spectrum (literature, drama, music, visual art, dance) and also in the realm of social thought (sociology, historiography, philosophy), artists and intellectuals found new ways to explore the historical experiences of black America and the contemporary experiences of black life in the urban North. Challenging white paternalism and racism, African-American artists and intellectuals rejected merely imitating the styles of Europeans and white Americans and instead celebrated black dignity and creativity. Asserting their freedom to express themselves on their own terms as artists and intellectuals, they explored their identities as black Americans, celebrating the black culture that had emerged out of slavery and their cultural ties to Africa.
Furthermore, a new radicalism among blacks emerged prior to the Harlem Renaissance. With the publication of black magazines, such as A. Philip Randolph’s The Messenger and the NAACP’s The Crisis (edited by W.E.B. Du Bois), the development of what was referred to as a “new consciousness” about racial identity occurred. Along with these publications, Marcus Garvey’s radical ideas of an independent black economy, racial purity, and the creation of societies in Africa were also influential.
These publications and ideas brought attention to the...