Drop Me Off In Harlem!
"Once you wake up thought in a man, you can never put it to sleep again."
Zora Neale Hurston
Zora Neale Hurston
When people hear the word 'Renaissance,' the topic most thought of is the European Renaissance from the 1400s to the 1700s, when names like Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo dominated the arts. However, there have actually been many Renaissances throughout human history. The definition of Renaissance is simply a rebirth; it refers to any time something has been given new life.
Although the European Renaissance is undoubtedly the most famous, one took place in America during the 1920s and 1930s. Centered in a famous neighborhood of New York City, this Renaissance completely changed the world's image of the African-American community. Black culture flourished as African-Americans produced beautiful art, literature, and began to spread jazz music and write classic songs like 'It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing),' which is the inspiration for our title. "Not only did blacks take pride in their African heritage, pride in black folklore, pride in just being black, but it also seemed natural to believe that art could bridge the formidable gap between the black and white worlds, that excellence and merit could produce social change." (New York Times) America and the world began to see African-Americans as urban thinkers rather than uneducated laborers. This event is known as the Harlem Renaissance.
Now, as the great Ella Fitzgerald takes on a Harlem Renaissance-era jazz classic, explore this website and get dropped off in Harlem!
Although the European Renaissance is undoubtedly the most famous, one took place in America during the 1920s and 1930s. Centered in a famous neighborhood of New York City, this Renaissance completely changed the world's image of the African-American community. Black culture flourished as African-Americans produced beautiful art, literature, and began to spread jazz music and write classic songs like 'It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing),' which is the inspiration for our title. "Not only did blacks take pride in their African heritage, pride in black folklore, pride in just being black, but it also seemed natural to believe that art could bridge the formidable gap between the black and white worlds, that excellence and merit could produce social change." (New York Times) America and the world began to see African-Americans as urban thinkers rather than uneducated laborers. This event is known as the Harlem Renaissance.
Now, as the great Ella Fitzgerald takes on a Harlem Renaissance-era jazz classic, explore this website and get dropped off in Harlem!
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