Harlem Renaissance Dbq Essay

Color Blind
The Harlem Renaissance

The Harlem Renaissance exploded in a New York community during 1918 and 1937; some refer to as The New Negro Movement. It was the time when Black Americans were passionate about shedding their Jim Crowe past. Black Americans wanted a new society for themselves that were viewed as talented and intelligent. The Harlem Renaissance enhanced the appreciation of Negro society showing that the black man was more than just an asset to be claimed, rather a talent to be admired. The Harlem Renaissance was triggered by The Great Migration. The South had become unbearable for the Black American, racism was on the rise and so was lynching. Black Americans no longer felt they could survive in the South under these conditions. The
people felt that they needed more opportunities for their families and themselves. The North was viewed as a place for greater exposure to social and economic advances. After The Great Migration, educated Black Americans found it easier to find careers; however, laborers were finding hatred towards them because of the competition they brought for jobs. Regardless of the obstacles; migrating to the North was very beneficial because of the outcome of the Harlem Renaissance. The Harlem Renaissance created a new outlook on life for Black American society. It created a society that was intrigued by the many talents of the Black Man. The movement encouraged them to express themselves through written forms, politics, intellectually and artistically. It was a whole new identity that was fully embraced. Their talents were popular among elite societies and their talents become a commodity. Black Americans were no longer seen with child-like existence, but as actual assets to society as equals. From the outside, it looked as though everything was working out nicely in the North. However, with every success there will be obstacles. A great leader in the advancement of the Black American Society was W.E.B DuBois. In one of his speeches he spoke of a double-consciousness. What he meant by that was where Black American loyalty laid. Black Americans had to choose an identity about them. It was popular for black artists during the Harlem Renaissance to create artwork with an “African” theme. The art galleries believed that Black artist should be identified with African culture instead of European culture. This was hard for many Black Americans because they had never identified with Africa. They grew up in America and were only exposed to a more European upbringing. These artists were painting the African images that the galleries wanted them to paint, but the souls were of a European style. This created a double-consciousness in choosing whether or not to be true to them or to what was being asked of them. But it wasn’t just what was being asked of them that was a problem; it was also a loyalty issue as well. At the time there were many pro-African or Black, so this influenced a lot of artists to paint in an African style. They feared that they would be viewed as going against all things African or Black, when showing their true European identity. The best way to describe the impact of the Harlem Renaissance is by examining two novels written in that time. The first novel called, “Black No More”, written by George Schuyler and the second novel called, “The Passing”, written by Nella Larsen. Both Schuyler and Larsen exemplified the key themes in cultural and literary output of the Harlem Renaissance era. The idea of the Harlem Renaissance is to show that black people are just as capable as white people and both theses authors touched on this theme in different ways in their novels. In George Schuyler’s book, “Black No More’, his approach is a more comical style. Black No More is a company in Harlem, New York that can turn black people permanently white. A black man named Max Disher, turns to a white man named Michael Fisher. Michael Fisher ends up going to Atlanta, Georgia and becoming the right hand man of a white supremacy group called The Knight of Nordica led by an ex-Ku Klux Klan member. It is ironic how a black man turned white ends up making some of the most important decisions for a black hating organization. Black No More starts to become a problem for white society. At first it was a great remedy for the black problem, but after a while it became a problem for the white Americans. Black No More turned black men and women white but unfortunately had no effect on changing their genes to white as well. Well to do white family’s daughters and sons were having dark-skinned children. The book goes on to the different ways of remedying the problem, but then it comes out that there is no real pure white race. Black No More wasn’t just a burden on white society, but also on the black economy. Before Black No More, Harlem was thriving and so where the people. Businesses where doing very well and the night life were even more exciting them ever. The introduction of Black No More changed all of that. Everyone started saving their money to pay for the procedure. Shops that focused on creating a whiter appearance for the black community were going out of business; even the night life felt the effects of Black No More. Black people almost seemed like addicts of an addictive substance. (Schuyler 1931) Schuyler did an excellent job of showing the importance of black people and their impact during the Harlem Renaissance. In Nella Larsen’s book, “Passing” was a more serious book. It is a book about black people passing as white people. It decided the lives of two very different women. A woman named Irene and another named Clare. Irene is proud to be black and embraces everything she loves about that. She is educated and well known in the community. She has a black husband who is a doctor and two sons. She is successful and happy, so it seems. Then there is Clare, she is very beautiful, she is married to a white man and she has a one daughter. Clare is not so proud of being black, so she chooses to, “pass”. The book lies out the feel of the Harlem Renaissance and all its glory. But is expresses the different sides that could come into contact with each other. Those who embrace their black blood versus those who do not. (Larsen n.d.) The Harlem Renaissance was a very influential time in U.S American history. It was an important time that embraces Black people and identifies them as being whole and complex people or human beings. It was a time about reinventing the perception of the black race. It was a time for black people to shed the Jim Crowe image and move on as equal.

Works Cited
Larsen, Nella. Passing. n.d.
Schuyler, George. Black No More. New York: The Macaulay Company, 1931.

I. Title: The Complexity of Negro Society
II. Sub-Title: Harlem Renaissance
III. Introduction:
• The Harlem Renaissance
• The New Negro Movement
IV. Thesis: The Harlem Renaissance is a time that brought out the appreciation of the beauty and complexity of Negro Society
V. Body Paragraph:
• The Harlem Renaissance was triggered by The Great Migration.
• The North was viewed as a place for greater exposure to social and economic advances.
• Educated Black Americans found it easier to find careers.
VI.
Body Paragraph:
• The Harlem Renaissance created a new outlook on life for Black American society.
• The movement encouraged them to express themselves through written forms, politics, intellectually and artistically.
• Black Americans were no longer seen with child-like existence, but as actual assets to society as equals.
VII. Body Paragraph:
• A great leader in the advancement of the Black American Society was W.E.B DuBois.
• Double-consciousness
• Art galleries believed that Black artist should be identified with African culture.
VIII. Body Paragraph:
• George Schuyler’s book, “Black No More’’
• Black No More is a company in Harlem, New York that can turn black people permanently white.
• Black No More turned black men and women white but unfortunately had no effect on changing their genes to white as well.
IX. Body Paragraph:
• Nella Larsen’s book, “Passing”
• Black people passing as white people.
• The book lies out the feel of the Harlem Renaissance.

X. Conclusion:
• The Harlem Renaissance was a very influential time in U.S American history
• Identifies Black people as being whole and complex people or human beings.
• . It was a time for lack people to shed the Jim Crowe image and move on as
equal.