Throughout the 1920s, Harlem experienced a cultural and intellectual exposure that became known as the Harlem experience. Who was involved in the Harlem Renaissance? What was the ultimate impact of the renaissance? And what were the reasons behind the proliferation of both the cultural and intellectual growth and experience of the Harlem community? These are some of the questions that continuously linger in the minds of the researchers with the significant interests in the Harlem Renaissance. Harlem is a neighbourhood of the New York City with a colossal African-American community. Harlem had become the prime destination for the African Americans throughout the early 1900s as part of the great migration. The great migration involved the northward movement of the slaves from the south where they were prone to racial discrimination, prejudice as well as violence. As more incoming or migrating blacks made Harlem their dream home, Harlem became increasingly known as the African-American cultural centre. Poets, philosophers like WEB Du Bois, artists and musicians were all were collective key components of the movement that apart from Harlem Renaissance was also called the New Negro Renaissance, the Jazz Age, and the New Negro Movement. The Harlem Renaissance had intense impacts on the United States, the world and most importantly the African Americans who were the key players since it worked to change their image for the better on how the world viewed and judged them (Baker & Houston, 12).
Music was one of the key components of the Harlem Renaissance because it is the time Jazz performers like Bill Robinson, Langston Hughes et al., perfected their music even making most researchers name the movement as the Jazz Age as already alluded to above. Interestingly, the jazz music performed by the Renaissance artist became very popular amongst white audiences too. Additionally, it is also during the Harlem Renaissance era that a piano was incorporated into the jazz style of music. Before and traditions, jazz music was characteristic of primarily the brass instruments. Intellectuals such as WEB DuBois and Marcus Garvey argued and debated issues of racism, ethnic pride and other issues that bore a close relationship to the African-American ways of life and existence in the foreign Harlem community. Langston Hughes and other poets introduced a new form of poetry during this time of the renaissance known as the Jazz Poetry. The new style of poetry addressed almost similar themes, if not similar, as the existing African-American literature at the time. Themes such as the impacts of slavery to African-American culture, the stereotypes of the black Americans and how to curb such stereotypes were successfully addressed by both the Renaissance poetry and the African American literature that were available during the Harlem Renaissance. African American clothing also drastically changed during the Harlem Renaissance. Black men started wearing zoot suits which characteristically featured long coats with both wide padded shoulders and lapels. Additionally, the zoot suits comprised of tight-cuff, high waists, pegged trousers with very wide legs. Other garments and unique footwear’s also became increasingly popular with the renaissance as the African Americans connected them to the traditional African guard (Baker & Houston, 18-20).