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The Roaring Twenties

Lesson 6

The Harlem Renaissance

Key Terms and People
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Urged
African Americans to protest racial violence
James Weldon Johnson Poet and civil rights leader
Marcus Garvey Black nationalist leader
Harlem Renaissance A literary and artistic movement of African American
culture
Claude McKay Poet and novelist who urged African Americans to resist prejudice
Langston Hughes Best-known Harlem Renaissance poet; described lives of
working-class African Americans
Zora Neale Hurston Author
Paul Robeson Dramatic actor who struggled with racism
Louis Armstrong Jazz trumpet player famous for his sense of rhythm and
improvisation
Duke Ellington Jazz pianist and composer
Bessie Smith Female blues singer and outstanding vocalist of the decade

Before You Read

In the last lesson you read about education and popular culture in
the 1920s. In this lesson you will learn about the Harlem
Renaissance.

As You Read
Complete a chart on the achievements of the Harlem Renaissance.

AFRICAN AMERICAN VOICES percent of African Americans lived in

IN THE 1920S cities. As a result, racial tensions
How did African Americans approach increased in Northern cities. There were
civil rights in the 1920s? race riots.
Between 1910 and 1920, hundreds of The National Association for the
thousands of African Americans had Advancement of Colored People
moved from the South to the big cities (NAACP) worked to end violence
of the North. This was called the Great against African Americans. W.E.B.
Migration. It was a response to racial Du Bois led a peaceful protest against
violence and economic discrimination racial violence.
against blacks in the South. By 1929, 40 The NAACP also fought to get laws

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Guided Reading Workbook

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Lesson 6, continued

against lynching passed by Congress. Negro, was published by Alain Locke in

James Weldon Johnson, a poet and 1925.
lawyer, led that fight. While no law The Harlem Renaissance produced
against lynching was passed in the many outstanding poets. Claude McKay
twenties, the number of lynchings wrote about the pain of prejudice. He
gradually dropped. urged African Americans to resist
Marcus Garvey voiced a message of prejudice and discrimination.
black pride that appealed to many One of the most famous Harlem
African Americans. Garvey thought that Renaissance poets was Langston
African Americans should build a Hughes. He wrote about the daily lives
separate society. He formed a black of working-class blacks and the
nationalist group called the Universal difficulties they faced. He gained
Negro Improvement Association international fame for his work.
(UNIA). Zora Neale Hurston collected the
Garvey promoted black-owned folklore of poor, uneducated Southern
businesses. He also urged African blacks and wrote about them. She
Americans to return to Africa to set up celebrated the common person’s art
an independent nation. form. Hurston wrote novels, short
1. How did the NAACP and Marcus stories, books of folklore, and poems.
Garvey’s followers respond to racial Music and drama were important
discrimination? parts of the Harlem Renaissance, too.
The NAACP also fought to get laws Paul Robeson became a major dramatic
against lynching passed by actor. He starred in Shakespeare’s
Congress. Marcus Garvey voiced a Othello. He experienced racism in the
message of black pride that appealed United States and lived for a time in
to many African Americans. Garvey
thought that African Americans England and the Soviet Union.
THEshould
HARLEM
build aRENAISSANCE
separate society. Jazz blended instrumental ragtime
FLOWERS IN NEW YORK and vocal blues and was created in the
What was the Harlem Renaissance? early 20th century in New Orleans.
In the 1920s many African Americans Musicians from New Orleans traveled
moved to Harlem, a section of New north, and they brought jazz with them.
York City. So did blacks from the West One of the most important and
Indies, Cuba, Puerto Rico, and Haiti. influential jazz musicians was trumpet
Harlem became the world’s largest black player Louis Armstrong. He was known
urban community as well as the for his sense of rhythm and
birthplace of the Harlem Renaissance. improvisation skills, and became a
This literary and artistic movement significant figure in jazz history.
celebrated African-American culture. Many whites came to Harlem to hear
The Harlem Renaissance was mainly jazz. Edward Kennedy “Duke” Ellington
a literary movement. It was led by well- led an orchestra at New York’s Cotton
educated middle-class blacks. They took Club. He was a jazz pianist and one of
pride in their African heritage and their the nation’s greatest composers.
folklore. They wrote about the problems Some considered Bessie Smith the
of being black in a white culture. An outstanding blues singer of the decade.
important collection of works by She was also the highest-paid black
Harlem Renaissance writers, The New artist in the world in 1927.
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Guided Reading Workbook

Name______________________________ Class________________________ Date_____________

Lesson 6, continued

The Harlem Renaissance inspired 2. Describe the contributions of one

African Americans to take pride in their artist of the Harlem Renaissance.
work. It represented part of the great Many whites came to Harlem to hear
social and cultural changes in America. jazz. Edward Kennedy "Duke"
Ellington led an orchestra at New
York's Cotton Club. He was a jazz
pianist and one of the nation's
greatest composers.
Describe briefly what each of the following artists was known for.

AfricAn AmericAn Writers And Performers

1. Claude McKay Claude McKay wrote about the pain of prejudice. He
urged African Americans to resist prejudice and
discrimination.

2. Langston Hughes He wrote about the daily lives of working-class

blacks and the difficulties they faced. He gained
international fame for his work.

3. Zora Neale Hurston Zora Neale Hurston collected the folklore of poor,
uneducated Southern blacks and wrote about them.
She celebrated the common person's art form.
Hurston wrote novels, short stories, books of
folklore, and poems.

4. Paul Robeson Paul Robeson became a major dramatic actor. He

starred in Shakespeare's Othello. He experienced
racism in the United States and lived for a time in
England and the Soviet Union.

5. Louis Armstrong He was known for his sense of rhythm and

improvisation skills, and became a significant figure
in jazz history.

6. Duke Ellington Ellington led an orchestra at New York's Cotton

Club. He was a jazz pianist and one of the nation's
greatest composers.

7. Bessie Smith Some considered Bessie Smith the outstanding

blues singer of the decade. She was also the
highest-paid black artist in the world in 1927.

© Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

Guided Reading Workbook