The Negative Impacts of the Harlem Renaissance Essay -- essays researc

The 1920s were a period or quick return and change in America. After World War I Americans were introduced to a lifestyle of lavishness they had neer encountered before. It was a period of radical thought and thinkings. It was in this time period that the idea of the Harlem rebirth was born. The ideology behind the Harlem Renaissance was to create the image of the bleak total darkness. The image of African-Americans changed from rural, uneducated peasants to urban, sophisticated, cosmopolites. Literature and numbers abounded. Jazz music and the clubs where it was performed at became social hotspots. Harlem was the epitome of the New Negro. However, things werent as sunny as they appeared. Many felt that the Harlem Renaissance itself wasnt so much a celebration of Black culture, however rather a regurgitation of exsanguine ideals. To these African-Americans, the Harlem Renaissance represented conformance and submission to the colour culture. Yet in that respect were also those who were not level(p) given the opportunity to be a part of the Harlem Renaissance. The pitiful Blacks in the South never received any of the racial tolerance up north. They lived in a world of racism and the Ku Klux Klan. The Harlem Renaissance did not redefine African-American expression. This can be seen through the funding dependence on White Americans, the continued spread of racism and the failure to acknowledge the rights of poor Southern African-Americans.Harlem provided a source of entertainment for many people. With its Jazz Clubs and poesy readings it was the hip place to be. This was a shock to many African-Americans, who had never before had the opportunity to perform in such affluent surroundings. much funding for these clubs or programs was provided by White Americans. This in itself was not a problem. However, the Harlem Renaissance became so dependant on the funding that when it stopped coming, there was no means by which to keep any of the clubs or litera ry cafes open. Some clubs in Harlem even discriminated against Black audience members. The popular cotton fiber Club, which featured solely Black performers, even went so far as to ban African-Americans from its audience entirely. Even in the Mecca of supposed racial equality, these sorts of inconsistency were still prevalent. Advertisements for products produced by African-Americans were also skewed. Para... ...The Harlem Renaissance was a time of growth and development in for African-Americans. They wrote novels, performed in clubs, and created the genre of Jazz. However, the Renaissance was imprisoned by its flaws. Rather then celebrating the unique culture of African-Americans, it oftentimes catered to what the White Americans would want to see and hear. Although racism seemed to be lower in Harlem and the Federal states, for many Blacks racism was at all time high. The Ku Klux Klan reached membership of galactic proportions. They marched on Washington DC and handed out mem bership card game bashing minorities. Less educated Blacks, or those who couldnt make it to Harlem, were often deemed ignorant. thither was a barrier built between those Blacks with an education, and those without. And when the Great Depression hit, African Americans lost their jobs at a rate almost triple that of White Americans. Where was the equality Harlem had fought so hard for? The Harlem Renaissance, although it did achieve some remarkable things, did not redefine African American expression. That ideal, would take many more old age of strife, struggle, and segregation to achieve.