What was the inspiration of the Harlem Renaissance?

Answer 1

The Harlem Renaissance, which is also known as the Black Literary Renaissance and The New Negro Movement, began in the neighborhood of Harlem in New York City in which the spirituality and potential of the African-American community was articulated through different forms of artistic expression. This time period coincided with the black migration to the northern cities to look for employment opportunities that became available after World War I because these types of opportunities were not as readily available to blacks in the South. In the Southern states there was a lack of freedom of expression for African Americans because it was generally demoralized by the Caucasian citizens of the South (black art and other forms of creative expression in black culture was simply censored or manifested itself in an underground forum). The migration to the North, more specifically Harlem, after the First World War led to African Americans finding an outlet for group expression and self determination as a means of achieving equality and civil rights. This era impacted literature (poetry and prose), music (jazz played in the notorious Cotton Club and elsewhere), visual arts (painting), and acting in musicals.