Harlem Renaissance There Were Many Influential People

Harlem Renaissance

There were many influential people that changed the shape of American culture during the Harlem Renaissance. Among them included Booker T. Washington and George Washington Carver. These two individuals were responsible for much of the ideology of the Harlem Renaissance. Another key person responsible for the Harlem Renaissance this paper will review was Hubert Harrison, who was often referred to as the "Father of Harlem Radicalism." He found the Liberty League, and the Voice, an organization and the first newspaper of what was referred to as the "New Negro Movement.

Booker T. Washington was among many things an educator, speaker, American author and lead politician; he was a representative of great American leaders that was among the last politicians to speak out against slavery, and among blacks that still did not have the right to vote. Washington had much support among white politicians, religious organizations, educational institutions and many other philanthropists, which is why his work gained much support during the Harlem Renaissance (Norrell, 2009; Ostrom & Macey, 2005). Washington is known among other things for his Atlanta Address, which encouraged African-American's to work for pay, rather than under oppression (Norrell, 2009).

George Washington Carver was known for his scientific, educational and agricultural discoveries. He worked under Booker T. Washington for some time. Carver promoted the growth of alternative crops to certain staple crops; these included cotton, peanuts, soybeans and other traditional crops, thus aiding in nutrition for farm families (Asante, 2002). This improved the life quality of many families tremendously. Carver was not simply recognized in the America's for his work, he was also recognized by the Royal Society of Arts in England, a prestigious society that recognized him for his alternative crops work in relation to peanuts (Asante, 2002; Patton & Honey, 2006).

Hubert Harrison was outspoken. He was an advocate of the New Harlem age, a group of individuals who were not willing to be quite regarding the laws of racial segregation. He was one of a growing population of black citizens that wanted to loudly proclaim rights to equality, freedom, and a right to free expression. His newspaper and political activism won him the title of "father of Harlem radicalism" (Asante, 2002). Harrison began leading socialist parties as early as the age of 17 (Asante, 2002) He was very conscious of progressive and free thought thinking. He was open to discuss topics including lynching, evolution, non-beliefs and any type of race topics (Asante, 2002). His work, as well as the work of many others, helped to promote justice and equality for many. It also promoted more interest in literature and the arts (Patton & Honey, 2006). The Harlem Renaissance in general promoted greater interest in literature and the arts, as many people interested in this free thinking movement began to express themselves through the arts. The arts and literature became a tool through which many began to express their joy, frustrations and hopes for freedom, expression, equality, and desire for self-defense and independent causes (Asante, 2002).

Of course there were many other people involved in the Harlem Renaissance that influenced American in many ways. Art, literature, and entertainment were affected forever. There was Ella Fitzgerald, who influenced jazz in an incredible way and changed the way many would view jazz in the 20th century (Asante, 2002). There was also Fats Waller, who was a composer, comedic entertainer and jazz pianist as well; there was also Art Tatum, who was widely known as an excellent jazz pianist, and Claude McKay, who was among the first to break the color barrier in the publishing industry by creating a book of poetry called Harlem Shadows, first published in 1922 (Asante, 2002).

Conclusions

The Harlem Renaissance was a radical time in history centered in NY city, but one that spread throughout America. There are disputes about when the Renaissance actually started and ended. One thing that is not disputed is that the ideas that began during this time period, and the discoveries that were made are not to be questioned. Many consider the Harlem Renaissance to be a movement in literature and arts alone, but it was also a move among politicians and scientists. Any major discoveries among black figures and their works, whether dramatic, politically based, literary, or artistic, often had much influence on the "new negro" movement as it was referred to at this time.