Harlem Renaissance Essay

The Harlem Renaissance was an African-American cultural movement that took place in the 1920’s and the 1930’s, in Harlem NYC, where black traditions, black voice, and the black ways of life were celebrated. Alain LeRoy Locke, also known as the “Father of the Harlem Renaissance”, was a philosopher best known for his writing and support of the movement. Alain LeRoy Locke impacted the Harlem Renaissance by helping the spread of black culture and being declared the father of the movement; the movement has also influenced African-American art and culture into the modern era since the legacy of the Harlem Renaissance can be seen in the work of Jo-Vaughn Virginie Scott and in movement groups such as Black Lives Matter. Alain LeRoy Locke had an impact

He worked on a project that contained “His collection of writing and illustrations, The New Negro, which was published in 1925 and quickly became a classic. He also published pieces on the Harlem Renaissance, communicating the energy and potential of Harlem culture to a wide audience of both black and white readers”. (A&E Television Networks 1). In other words, his well known anthology and other pieces of work assisted in the disperse of black culture. This shows Alain LeRoy Locke had an impact on the Harlem Renaissance because his book helped develop the movement of spreading black pride and culture to various groups of people and it's what made him one of the important faces of the movement. Also, Alain LeRoy Locke impacted the Harlem Renaissance because he was declared the father of the movement. In his book, “The New Negro, Locke examined the famous Harlem Renaissance for the general reading public. It also became a platform where he attacked the legacy of European supremacy by pointing out the great

During the Harlem Renaissance, African-Americans had also fought to end racism and violence towards their race. Groups who fought for those can be found today such as the “Black Lives Matter” movement. “The Black Lives Matter Global Network is a chapter-based, member-led organization whose mission is to build local power and to intervene in violence inflicted on Black communities by the state and vigilantes.” (“About” 1). In other words, this is a movement where black people fight to be treated equally as others. The Black Lives Matter movement relates to the Harlem Renaissance because both these movements have/had a goal of changing the way people view African Americans so that they could be treated equally. Another way The Harlem Renaissance can be seen in modern art and culture is for example the actor and rapper Jo-Vaughn Virginie Scott and his song “Land of the free”. In his song, he states “..I feel my ancestors arrested inside of me It's like they want me to shoot my chance and change society But how do I go about it? Tell me where I start?..” (“Land of the Free”, Scott). In other words he talks about the legacy of his ancestors living inside him and contemplating on how to change society. This relates back to the Harlem Renaissance because during the movement, there was change in black culture and pride and this songs quote