A Historical Backdrop for the Harlem Renaissance and the Civil Rights Era.

The Harlem Renaissance

The Harlem Renaissance was a revolution in American culture that started post- WWII and went through the Great Depression in the 1930's. It was a "coming of age" for the African American artists, and during this time they produced thousands of works in the areas of literature, music (vocal and instrumental), and art. These works of art were shaped by the unique African American experience and were unlike anything that the world had ever seen. There were revolutionary poets such as Langston Hughes and Countee Cullen who wrote moving poetry about the plight of the black American. And there were the musicians Noble Sissle and Eubie Blake who broke down barriers by writing the first African American musical that was performed with an all black cast.