1920s
1920–1929The Harlem Renaissance and the Jazz Age remake American culture.
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Key events
- 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.
- February 13, 1920The Negro National League
Rube Foster organizes the first lasting Black professional baseball league.
- August 1920Marcus Garvey and the UNIA
Garvey's movement for Black pride and self-determination draws millions worldwide.
- February 16, 1923Bessie Smith, Empress of the Blues
Smith's recordings make her the highest-paid Black entertainer of the 1920s.
- 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.
- May 23, 1921"Shuffle Along" on Broadway
A landmark all-Black musical revolutionizes American theatre.