The African-American Renaissance

Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation in 1863 was perhaps the single most crucial document of its time in American History. With it thousands of black slaves were declared free and American society and culture had to open up to the possibility of accommodating and assimilating a whole new culture rife with promise.

Although the changes did not come quickly, the freed slaves were quick to realize not only their inherent rights as human beings but the unique spirit of their intellect and culture as well.

From the moment slavery was abolished, former black slaves throughout America found their voices and expression not only in political and social activism but in the arts as well. Perhaps the most resounding name in the black movement is that of Harlem, a black ghetto in New York City. There, the distinct African-American arts and culture grew and flourished at its best for over a decade. The phenomenon came to be known as the New Negro Movement, but because of the exceptional literary energy, dynamism and creativity of Harlem's resident artists, the movement came to be more popularly known as the Harlem Renaissance. Just like the European Renaissance which preceded it a century or so ago, this renaissance was a coming of age for the African Americans who could, for the first time, finally come out and express their sentiments and pride for their culture and heritage as a people. In effect, this racial pride came to challenge the pervading racism that was still present even after the emancipation.

Although the Harlem Renaissance provided an avenue for nearly all art forms, among the most prominent artists were the writers and poets because it was with the pen that African Americans could clearly verbalize what they wanted the rest of America to know. There was no single unifying literary style during this time, but clearly, African American literary works progressed from simple imitations to complicated creative examinations of the social and political situations of the black race. Although the Harlem artists were diverse in form and style, the support of the Harlem community provided the motivation and encouragement for many artists to pursue their work.

The movement however, could not have survived without the help of wealthy patrons, some of whom were whites who genuinely recognized the talent and promise of the African American race and the validity of their cause. Among the most notable of patrons were Max Eastman, Arthur Schomburg and Charlotte Osgood Mason.

One of the most prominent leading figures at this time was James Weldon Johnson, a writer who was also a schoolteacher and musician. His works were vivid estimations of the involvement of African Americans to the American way of life. He was the author of Autobiography of an Ex-Coloured Man (1912), Fifty Years and Other Poems (1917), Book of American Negro Poetry (1922) and God's Trombones (1927).

Among other exceptional writers were Langston Hughes, Dorothy West, Claude McKay, Marcus Garvey, Sterling Brown, Gwendolyn Bennett, Rudolph Fisher, Countee Cullen, Anne Spencer and Zora Neale Hurston.