Samuel Winston
The Original Harlem Shake
Me oh my, what a time to be alive! After all, the Roaring twenties didn’t get its name for nothing. The Harlem Renaissance was a time of artistic improvement in literature. Ironically, the African-American population being a minority actually played out to benefit them in this movement. White people had grown an increasing fascination with the “exotic” style of the Harlem people. Moreover, it was a time of expression for African-Americans, they finally had a chance to be themselves.
Countee Cullen Langston Hughes
Within this movement were two poets with opposing opinions. Especially during this time, two poets with even the slightest disagreement was a recipe for competition. Countee Cullen still embraced the white art forms as part of his life while Langston Hughes went an entirely different direction. Hughes made it imperative that black poets embrace there background and create an entirely separate “Negro” form of literature. While these two may of had their differences, they improved the movement nonetheless. Ironically, both the viewpoints served to improve the solidarity of the African-American community as a whole. It showed society that African-American community still had respect for the old tradition while also wanting to show the world how this culture is something to be celebrated.
Mother to Son
Well, son, I’ll tell you:
Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.
It’s had tacks in it,
And splinters,
And boards torn up,
And places with no carpet on the floor—
Bare.
But all the time
I’se been a-climbin’ on,
And reachin’ landin’s,
And turnin’ corners,
And sometimes goin’ in the dark
Where there ain’t been no light.
So, boy, don’t you turn back.
Don’t you set down on the steps.
‘Cause you finds it’s kinder hard.
Don’t you fall now—
For I’se still goin’, honey,
I’se still climbin’,
And life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.
By Langston Hughes
While this poem could have differing meanings, the viewpoint of Langston about African-American culture can be seen in the text. This poem is quite simply put that, especially during this time period, the African-American community has not gone through an easy road or “stairs.”
The Harlem Renaissance did have other aspects as well, including the well established Cotton Club. This was a night club in Harlem that very well had boosted the morale of the Harlem Renaissance. It quite easy to see why it was such a big factor. As mentioned earlier, white society had become fascinated by the African-American culture. The Cotton Club was a white’s only establishment, however it featured primarily African-American performers. The biggest kicker is the fact that prohibition was going on at this time, meaning there wasn’t as much to do for fun. This factor is most likely what resulted in the success of the Cotton Club. If you were looking for some good and illegal fun then the Cotton Club was your spot. This was due to the mobster and other gangster lifestyle that ended up taking over the establishment. Therefore, with virtually no place else to get drunk, the icing on the cake had been established for the Cotton Club.
Langston Hughes continues his racial criticism as a result of this club. As mentioned earlier, it was primarily white citizens while African-Americans were performing for there entertainment. In his eyes, society was not improving.In fact, Hughes claimed Harlem as a whole had reduced in African-American members due to the increase desire for whites to come and enjoy the club.
Cullen on the other hand, saw this a connecting point between the two racial groups. Cullen was a major supporter of both cultures, primarily because he received much praise and success through schools that were either primarily Caucasian or African-American. In fact, he was once elected as president of Harlem’s National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Needless to say he was a trusted source as well on the issue.
While still speaking of society and its functions, a major sociologist had also served as a pioneer for this time: W.E.B. Dubois. Probably the most recognized name amongst all these figures, Dubois shaped what America thinks of both African-American culture and American Society as a whole. Considered the Father of the Harlem Renaissance, his The Souls of Black Folk served as a pivotal work in what America now realizes about African-American life. This work is where Dubois famously coined the concept of “double-consciousness”, which serves as a sociological term that describes every human as having two perspectives that they see themselves: through the eyes of themselves and through the eyes of others. Obviously this was a major breakthrough in mankind’s self awareness. This was a large aspect of what Dubois meant to accomplish, he want to shape the mind of the masses with his intellectual gifts.
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Leiter, Andrew. The Souls of Black Folk; Essays and Sketches. Chicago, A.C. McClurg & Co.,
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