In this essay I will demonstrate the effects of the Harlem Renaissance on society in the United States through the use of different modes of expression such as poetry, religion, and music. Centralized around New York's Harlem neighborhood, a flourishing of cultural progress would use music to bridge social divides, religion to institutionalize, and poetry as a mode of political and economic progress. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The 1920s were a decade of extraordinary artistic creativity for black Americans, and much of that creativity found its focus in the activities of African Americans living in New York City, particularly in the borough of Harlem. The second half of the decade saw an unprecedented explosion of publications by African Americans. This is where the term “Renaissance” was coined, marking the rebirth of art and literature. While the term “Harlem Renaissance” is convenient, it is important to remember that what happened in New York was an unusual cultural enlightenment never seen elsewhere. Because Harlem was imagined as “a neighborhood…distinctly dedicated to the mansions of the wealthy, the homes of the well-to-do, and the places of business of the trades that satisfy their needs.” In the district, the idea began to take shape that black people had the opportunity to succeed and realize their true identity, and to develop new ways of thinking that would flourish. Expressed in multiple ways, the creativity of Black Americans came from a common source: the need to create bold, expressive art of high quality as a response to their social conditions. What happened in the United States should also be connected to some radical trends in the country. Between 1890 and 1910, New York's black population nearly tripled as the first generation of blacks born after the Emancipation Proclamation steadily moved away from the South, fleeing racial violence and seeking a different, better way of life. In the post-war period the black population began to acquire an unexpected community, a sense of the connections of events within the nation's borders. Much of these thoughts were formed from environmental changes, such as new technologies (mass transportation and media) and new ideas promoted by influencers such as Langston Hughes, Alain Locke and Duke Ellington. Accelerated ideas seen through the eyes of 350,000 African Americans who fought in World War I. In the Harlem district, the idea began to take shape that black people had a chance to succeed and realize their identity with a new way of thinking that could thrive. For black writers and intellectuals, theological ideas became attractive because they believed that art could overcome political divisions. Although the optimistic sense of progress and opportunity remained the general mood, some of them, however, were convinced that class consciousness would not work without race consciousness. So in 1920, when the radical publisher and Harlem street orator, Hubert Henry Harrison, advised that “before the Negroes of the Western world can play an effective part, they must first inform themselves of what is happening in that larger world, whose millions are on the move." .” On the other hand, black intellectuals who avoided direct political involvement were also attracted to international concerns because they believed that black artistic achievement could pave the way for other minorities. Thus, the philosopher Alain Locke observed that "as in the case of the Jews, persecution is making the Negroes international."Traditionally in discussions of African American literature and culture, "modernism" implies the work of British, Irish, and Anglo-American writers and artists. of the early 20th century. While this may stem from a tendency among critics to view African-American literature as separate and distinct from Anglo-American, British, and Irish literature, the connection of the Harlem Renaissance with the modernist movement reflects the conceptualization of racial identity and consciousness. As a result, Harlem Renaissance poetry attempts to capture the perspective of African American writers in the context of the modern world. Like their Anglo-American, British, and Irish counterparts during the early 20th century, Harlem Renaissance writers created poems that featured modernist characteristics such as fragmentation, multiple narrative voices/speakers, stream of consciousness, nonlinear narrative, and highly experimental language . However, Harlem poets also transformed modernist themes, techniques, and strategies to convey the African American experience in America. This was achieved by creating poetry that also incorporated aspects of black heritage in the United States, including the black vernacular, blues/jazz rhythms, and the tradition of oral storytelling. Harlem Renaissance poetry represents the diversity of perspectives and aesthetics based on different ways of life. The intertwined connection of social and political forces that created this movement has left a legacy of poetry that continues to influence contemporary African American writers today. The relationship between the Harlem Renaissance and modernism is complex and captures the attempt by African American writers and intellectuals to reflect a black cultural perspective through the use of African American vernacular, jazz/blues, oral narrative tradition, and Afrocentric themes. Through poetry and literature, the Harlem Renaissance symbolizes the collective voice of African American authors in the age of modernity. Rachel Blau DuPlessis argues that there was an institutionalization of the Renaissance in the black church and that this institutionalization came in the form of the Social Gospel movement, a social Christianity movement, which began among white Protestants in the North around 1880 and spread to the rest of the world. black church. He claims that the connection between the Harlem Renaissance and the black church did not depend on the religious faith of Renaissance artists and intellectuals. For example, it does not matter that Claude McKay considered himself “pagan” or that Langston Hughes denied adhering to Christianity. Although artists sometimes attended or performed in black churches, the point is that black churches that practiced the social gospel constituted an individual piece of the Renaissance themselves, components that collectively created an entire social norm. Under the pastorate of the Rev. Hutchins C. Bishop, St. Philip became the largest black congregation in the Protestant Episcopal denomination and the richest of all the black churches in the country. The church owned a significant amount of property in Harlem and its financial gains only added to its capacity. This happened because a greater number of New Negros were able to find educational and financial means because there were more members there than in any other black church in the city. The Harlem Renaissance has been treated primarily as a literary movement with jazz artists and concert performers seen as collateral elements of the movement. However, the role of music was much more basic and fundamental to the movement. Whether it was unifying a community, integrating social groups, or providing a universal platform for change, music in the Harlem Renaissance acted as a vehicle for change. The comments ofProminent figures on the music and jazz of the period suggest the authority of music in Renaissance philosophy and practice. The idea that black music was America's uniquely distinctive contribution to American and world musical culture was accepted and emphasized by Renaissance leaders and some of the grassroots. The cultural environment created by Renaissance leaders primarily supported literature, while music served as a network of physical elements that consisted of nightlife, cocktail parties, or everyday interactions. The music of black plays, the dance music of cabarets, the blues and ragtime of speakeasies, and spiritual songs all created an atmosphere for Renaissance activity and contemplation. Furthermore, the pre-Renaissance activities of black musicians had created an environment in which the movement could stem and receive continued sustenance. Renaissance leaders were determined to create a “New Negro,” someone who would attend concerts and operas in the hope that an ideally integrated society would be economically and socially prepared for the spread of cultures. At first the “lower forms,” such as blues and jazz, of black music were frowned upon. Jazz and performing artists were seen by whites as symbols of primitive indulgence, as symbols “of that freedom from restraint which the white intellectual so ardently desired.” These leaders realized that a new stereotype was developing simultaneously with their efforts to destroy the old ones. In an attempt to create a homogeneous sound that could permeate the social walls of America, this stereotype was reinforced by “primitive” African-American culture and the rise of jazz in the Renaissance years. In the New Negro's attempt to define and build a culture, music provided much of the movement's color, spirit, and quality. It provided a basis for the general mood and style for the intellectual strand of thought of the time. This fact is reflected in some of Hughes' writings when he defines jazz as "the tom-tom of revolt". In his experience, music played an important, indispensable role, despite being taken for granted by most other black intellectuals. In some cases, there were divisions between African American musicians and intellectuals, who were sometimes referred to as "The Tenth Talent". The Talented Tenth refers to a designated ruling class of African Americans in the Harlem Renaissance. Black jazz musicians helped, or in some cases worsened, the situation. Duke Ellington's "Dicty" set and Henderson's song "Dicty's Glide", both served as inspiration to poke fun at talented-minded people. George Redd's studies imply that it was the better educated jazz musicians who helped bring the two philosophical fields together. [FootnoteRef:14] He points out that Ellington, Henderson, and other jazz musicians presented an image acceptable to intellectuals. Ellington was able to present this image by displaying a dignified bearing, an aristocratic style, and a self-assurance in any company, which would exemplify the New Negro within and without the world of jazz. In the controversy between intellectuals and "show people," Langston Hughes stated: Let the blaring of the Negro jazz bands and the screaming voice of Bessie Smith singing the blues penetrate the closed ears of the colored quasi-intellectuals until they listen and perhaps understand... We Younger Black artists creating now intend to express our dark-skinned selves without fear or shame. If white people are happy, we are happy. If they're not, it doesn't matter... If black people are happy, we're happy. If they aren't, even their displeasure doesn't matter.,, 1983.