Harlem Renaissance Research Paper

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Pages: 4

Known as the "Roaring Twenties," the 1920s were a crucial period in American history. The African American community stood out as a transforming force among the many groups that were instrumental in defining the American identity during this age, especially through the cultural movement known as the Harlem Renaissance. This essay will examine the ways in which the Harlem Renaissance, as a distinct group within the New Era, profoundly impacted Americans' collective identity. We will analyze the cultural and sociopolitical effects using primary sources from Chapter 22 of The American Yawp, including the poems "The Negro Speaks of Rivers" by Langston Hughes, "How It Feels to Be Colored Me" by Zora Neale Hurston, and "Enter the New Negro" by Alain Locke. …show more content…
"I've known rivers as old as the world and older than the flow of human blood in human veins." The attempts made by the Harlem Renaissance to alter the perception of African Americans are demonstrated by this striking connection between the historical foundations of Black people and the continued tenacity of their identity. Hughes's writings solidified the movement by busting myths and enhancing the idea of the American identity in general. Zora Neale Hurston, another important Harlem Renaissance voice, offered a more introspective and autonomous perspective in her essay "How It Feels to Be Colored Me." Hurston says, "I don't always feel colored," concentrating on her own experiences. I still often arrive in Eatonville's unconscious Zora before the Hegira." A glimpse into the complex and varied facets of African American identity in the 1920s can be found in Hurston's writings. Hurston challenges stereotypical ideas of Black identity by highlighting the diversity of experiences within the African American community. This emphasis on individuality and self-perception contributed to the development of a more nuanced Black identity and, consequently, of American consciousness as a