Art During The Harlem Renaissance

Imagine giving up everything you have just so that your children could live a better life. Imagine leaving everything behind just to move somewhere where nobody has any respect for you regardless of what you have sacrificed. You have to work days and nights just to be able to pay rent and yet, nobody cares or has any sympathy. This is what it was like to be of African American descent and live during the Harlem Renaissance. The Harlem Renaissance was a time during the 1920’s when black Americans fled to populous cities where they could explore, create, and have pride in their newfound culture. A Renaissance of any kind is where a society or culture changes its ways and views, typically through the arts. This would be an example of a large

Firstly, Billy (Bonjangles) Robinson was a black man who exceeded in tap dance and enthusiasm. Specifically, Robinson showed an immense amount of eagerness and energy in his piece titled “King for a Day” where facial expressions can be seen that grab attention away from the already energetic tap dancing. Robinson’s dancing inspired many other to do the same, like Josephine Baker, and this energy eventually became a trend in Harlem. He also helped prove to the black community and the whole country that skin tone doesn’t define who you are or your capabilities, you do. In addition, James VanDerZee was a black artist who worked hard during the 1920’s to educate society about Harlem’s upcoming culture. For example, VanDerZee photographed a series with an unknown title that illustrated the everyday lives of African Americans and how similar they were to the everyday lives of white Americans. It helped open people up to the idea that we all do the same things and should be treated as such, regardless of skin tone. Altogether, art, no matter dance or painting, shows the potential and passion that the African American community had and it majorly helped them to create their own pride in their culture. Music was one of the most powerful and influential pieces of art during the Renaissance when jazz reached its peak. To begin, Duke Ellington was a famous jazz musician and band leader that remains one of the most famous jazz composers from the Harlem Renaissance. Ellington recorded “In a Sentimental Mood”, a song that was composed of many soft notes with a repetitive atmosphere that made the listener feel, well, sentimental. Since the song conveyed such a melancholy and empathetic mood to it, people felt compelled to look towards his music in times of