Art In The 1920s Essay

Words: 1182
Pages: 5

The Impact of Art, Music, & Literature in the 1920s
Every February, people all around the U.S take part in Black History Month where they honor those who have been large contributors towards social change and equality for all; more specifically, the many who were apart of the Harlem Renaissance. The Harlem Renaissance occurred during the 1920s where African Americans escaped the rural South to the urban North—or better known as Harlem, New York. They were offered better opportunities when it came to education and excellence, with this comes one word: freedom. Not freedom is a sense of gaining basic living rights, but freedom that included taking away the stigma of culture being predominantly taken over by Whites. In spite of this, African
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For example, Thomas Wedgwood's piece, “Am I Still Not a Man and a Brother” depicts the struggle of someone who had to bear chains and pray for any chance at being able to feel the same freedom as any other person. This work expressed Wedgwood's desire for equality between the races. In addition, “The Start of Black Education”, a piece from the Harlem Renaissance, demonstrated the starting point where education was finally offered for African Americans. This artist, (Unknown) signifies that even when African Americans were offered education, it was in scarcity. Therefore, the importance of having the least bit of schooling did not matter how old someone was, it depended on their desire and will to gain knowledge. Another contributor, James VanDerZee was a photographer during the Harlem Renaissance. His photograph titled “Couple” portrayed how African Americans were finally able to live a life that they love. Not to mention, the 1920s being full of better opportunities for African Americans to truly excel with their lifestyle and occupation. Art became one of the primary sources that Black Americans were able to flourish the 1920s with their opinions on what their ancestors had been through decades before during slavery, however, this is not the only contributing