What Was the Harlem Renaissance? Definition and Legacy

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Published: June 5, 2024 | Last Updated: June 5, 2025

Historical Background and Timeline

The Harlem Renaissance began shortly after World War I and reached its peak between 1924 and 1929. One of its turning points was the 1924 Civic Club Dinner, hosted by Charles S. Johnson. The event brought together Black writers and white publishers, resulting in new publication opportunities and national exposure for many Harlem authors.

The movement was driven by the Great Migration, which brought hundreds of thousands of African Americans from the rural South to northern cities. Harlem became the largest Black urban neighborhood in the country.

Though Harlem was the center of this artistic shift, similar developments happened in cities like Chicago and Philadelphia. Some artists also worked in Paris, where they found audiences and support unavailable in the United States.

Key Writers and Literary Impact

Writers played a central role in shaping the Harlem Renaissance. Langston Hughes wrote poems that reflected everyday Black life and used rhythms borrowed from jazz and blues.

Zora Neale Hurston published stories based on African American folklore and oral traditions. Her novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God (1937, J.B. Lippincott), focused on the experiences of Black women in the South.

Claude McKay’s poems addressed racism directly. His 1922 collection Harlem Shadows (Harcourt, Brace) was one of the first major literary releases of the movement.

Jean Toomer’s Cane (1923, Boni & Liveright) used experimental form to depict both rural and urban Black life. Countee Cullen combined race themes with traditional European poetic structure.

Two important anthologies helped shape the movement’s identity. James Weldon Johnson’s The Book of American Negro Poetry (1922, Harcourt, Brace) collected the work of many Harlem writers. Alain Locke’s 1925 volume The New Negro gathered essays and stories that emphasized pride, individuality, and creative freedom.

Visual Artists and Intellectuals

Aaron Douglas developed a distinct style that merged modernist techniques with African motifs. His paintings often featured strong silhouettes, geometric composition, and historical themes. Douglas worked closely with other Harlem thinkers and became the leading visual artist of the movement.

Augusta Savage created sculptures that challenged racist imagery and supported younger artists through teaching and organizing. Palmer C. Hayden painted scenes of daily life and folklore with a focus on working-class dignity.

James Van Der Zee took formal portraits of Harlem residents, capturing both prominent figures and everyday people.

These artists worked alongside intellectuals like Alain Locke and W.E.B. Du Bois. Locke pushed for a modern Black identity built on cultural expression. Du Bois saw art as a way to challenge white supremacist narratives and insisted on high standards for representation in all forms of media.

Music and Performance

Jazz became one of the most recognizable aspects of the Harlem Renaissance. Musicians like Duke Ellington, Fats Waller, and Cab Calloway performed in nightclubs such as the Cotton Club and the Savoy Ballroom. Although segregation limited who could attend or perform publicly, the music reached a broad audience through radio broadcasts and recordings.

Blues singers like Bessie Smith recorded songs that reflected the realities of Black life with honesty and power. The popularity of jazz and blues helped bring attention to Harlem culture across racial lines. Music from this period laid the groundwork for later styles, including swing, bebop, and rhythm and blues.

Why It Still Matters

The Harlem Renaissance helped establish a modern sense of Black identity through the arts. It gave rise to a generation of writers, musicians, and artists whose work influenced American culture and politics. The movement shaped how race, history, and self-expression were handled in future media, including theater, literature, and film.

Its impact extended into the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 60s. Artists and activists continued to use culture to fight discrimination and affirm their identities. Museums, universities, and libraries now preserve and present Harlem Renaissance works. Exhibitions at major institutions often feature pieces by Douglas, Savage, and Van Der Zee as part of the American art canon.

The Harlem Renaissance and Film

The Harlem Renaissance had a direct influence on film, although its impact was gradual and limited by industry barriers at the time. It helped foster a cultural environment where Black stories and identities gained more public space.

This aligned with the rise of the “race film” era, i.e., movies made for Black audiences, often by Black filmmakers. These films were shown in segregated theaters and offered alternatives to Hollywood’s racist portrayals.

One of the most important figures was Oscar Micheaux, the first major African American feature filmmaker. He was not based in Harlem, but his work echoed the Renaissance’s goals: portraying complex Black characters, confronting racism, and promoting self-reliance. His films like Within Our Gates (1920) pushed back against stereotypes and false histories like those seen in The Birth of a Nation (1915, D.W. Griffith).

Summing Up

The Harlem Renaissance was a significant cultural movement led by African American artists, writers, and musicians. It began in Harlem during the 1920s and helped define a new era of creative freedom and identity. Its work challenged racism, created space for honest self-expression, and shaped the future of American arts and culture.