'African American Theatre Essay\r'

'Harlem Renaissance was the account of the African American cultural case that gained its popularity in the 1920s and early 1930s. It got its name because it took its roots in Harlem of New York, an theater which had been always associated with the African American inhabitants. It emerged towarfared the end of World fight I in 1918, blossomed in the mid- to late 1920s, and then faded in the mid-1930s (Enc contrivancea, 2006). Harlem Renaissance as a movement attracted over hard attention of the publishers to the African American cultural phenomena.\r\nIt was the starting line point to consider the African American art and literature to be a substantial business office of the entire American culture. It attracted serious attention of the American nation to the culture of the huge part of American citizens, African Americans. It was initially a literature movement but it was also related to the African American music, theatre, art and politics. Harlem Renaissance emerged in the early 20’s of the 20th century, during a dot of serious political, social and economic upheavals in the African American companionship.\r\nThere were several social and political factors which gave the stern for the raise of the African American culture. The end of the genteel War (1861-1865) created specific attitude towards African Americans. They gained bleak opportunities for development of their culture; they got access to the proper education, they got qualitatively new self esteem and self respect. They got mate rights guaranteed by the Declaration of the Independence which stated the infrastructure of the American fraternity, â€Å"all men are created bear upon”.\r\nThe Great Migration gave hundreds of thousands inglorious Americans an opportunity to move from the from an economically depressed rural South to industrial cities of the north-central to take advantages of the employment opportunities created by World War I. Harlem became the place of se ttlement for educated and socially conscious depresseds. It veritable into the political and cultural centre of the vague Americans.\r\nâ€Å"Equally important, during the 1910s a new political docket advocating racial equality arose in the African American community, particularly in its growing middle class. Championing the schedule were grim historian and sociologist W. E. B. Du Bois and the National Association for the promotional material of Colored People (NAACP), which was founded in 1909 to advance the rights of erosives. This docket was also reflected in the efforts of Jamaican-born forbiddingness nationalist Marcus Garvey, whose â€Å" bear out to Africa” movement inspired racial pride among blacks in the United States. ” (Encarta, 2006). Harlem Renaissance was the most creative menstruum in African-American cultural life which influenced greatly the entire American culture. It impacted the American culture, American social life and race relations in the United States.\r\nIt was a conclusion of flourishing of aesthetical expression and cultural activity. The interracial relations in the United States found their new manifestation during the Harlem Renaissance. The spring up of the black culture would be undoable without the comprehension of it by the representatives of the white American community. â€Å"White authors musical composition about African-Americans; white patrons and nurtureers of the Harlem Renaissance; white publishers, producers, and employment agents; white critics and promoters-these all influenced African-American culture for divulge or worse.\r\nA closely related subject matter is the interaction between blacks and whites: most often black artists reacting with white publishers, promoters, and critics; but also the more mingled interaction between the black intelligentsia and black writers and white publishers and intellectuals. Both W. E. B. Du Bois and James Weldon Johnson were black graciou s rights leaders, novelists, and poets in their own right, and both published, promoted, and critiqued the work of black artists and writers.\r\nCarl Van Vechten, a white novelist, wrote a study Harlem novel of the period and also served as a patron and promoter of black literature, art, and music, and as a documenter of the Harlem Renaissance. ” (Cary D. Wintz, Paul Finkelman, 2004). During the 20’s Harlem became the center of the black culture rise. The unprecedented attention was attracted to Harlem due to its uniqueness as a world center of the black culture, culture being developed on the principles of freedom.\r\nThe period of Harlem Renaissance came between the Emancipation Proclamation of 1862 and the civilised Rights Movement of the 1960’s. â€Å"The term â€Å"Renaissance” might be considered a misnomer for the Harlem Renaissance because it was more of a take in than a rebirth. Its artistic production was based upon a powerful sense of intens e race intellect and pride in black heritage and community. ” (Patricia Flynn, 2006). It was impossible to promote the black culture before the period known as Harlem Renaissance. The American society had non got rid of the racial prejudices, segregation etc.\r\nJim swash laws created the obstacles for the full scale integration of the American blacks into the society and consequently stopped the cultural development of the African Americans. The Ku Klux Klan in the South promoted the racial segregation. The violent character of the Ku Klux Klan and similar groups tried to renew the gloomy traditions of slavery. The lawmaking of the South differed greatly from that of North and Harlem of New York symbolized the freedom, an American dream for African Americans.\r\nHarlem of New York City became the area of accommodation for the African Americans moving from the South. â€Å"As Confederate blacks moved into the area, a power struggle developed between white and black capit al. Whites deserted Harlem and prices of topographic point fell. Blacks bought up the properties. By the 1920’s, the two square mile area between Eighth Avenue (West) and twenty percent Avenue(East), and 125th passageway North to 145th Street held 200,000 blacks. ” (Patricia Flynn, 2006). During the World War I black soldiers in Europe cognised the interest to the traditional black music jazz.\r\nThey started realizing their African American cultural heritage. The war had created a demand for workers. The image of proud and separate â€Å"New Negro” in black community replaced the comic image of the plantation slave created by the white culture. One of the leading black philosophers who called African Americans to recognize the pride for their African heritage was Alain Locke. â€Å"Alain Locke was probably the foremost spokesman for artists and writers of the Harlem Renaissance.\r\nHe was highly educated as a philosopher at Harvard University, and the fi rst black American Rhodes Scholar (1907-1910). He chaired the Philosophy Department at Howard University. His theories of black art encouraged black artists to recognize and incorporate their African heritage within their work. He powerfully wrote and lectured that African artistic heritage was at the center of the black experience. African art had do a contribution to modern art in Europe, and it should have an even deeper and more historical substance to black artists in America.\r\nLocke felt that black artists necessitate to be liberated, free to express their heritage. ” (Patricia Flynn, 2006). Alain Locke organized the pecuniary support of the African American artists. This financial support was nonpareil of the most controversial issues of Harlem Renaissance. On one quite a little the philosophic ideas of the black self individualism as opposed to the white one was the nerve centre of the philosophy of Harlem Renaissance and on the other hand the financial aid c ame from the white philanthropists, who were the representatives of the white culture.\r\n'