Cultural movement · 1918–1937
The Harlem Renaissance
An explosion of Black literature, art, and music centered in Harlem.
On the timeline
- May 23, 1921"Shuffle Along" on Broadway
A landmark all-Black musical revolutionizes American theatre.
- February 16, 1923Bessie Smith, Empress of the Blues
Smith's recordings make her the highest-paid Black entertainer of the 1920s.
- March 1925The Harlem Renaissance flowers
Alain Locke's "The New Negro" anthology announces a generation of Black artistic genius.
- November 1925Louis Armstrong reinvents jazz
Armstrong's Hot Five recordings make the soloist the heart of jazz and reshape American music.
- 1926Langston Hughes' "The Weary Blues"
Hughes' first poetry collection defines the Harlem Renaissance voice.
- February 7, 1926Carter G. Woodson launches Negro History Week
The forerunner of Black History Month is established.
Resources
The web
Connections to other moments, systems, and investigations — the links rarely drawn together.
- led to (incoming)·ArticleThe Great Migration
The migration concentrated the talent that produced the Renaissance.
- caused (incoming)·EventThe Great Migration begins
The migration north concentrated Black talent in cities like Harlem.