Literary Movement

Harlem Renaissance

1910s to 1930s

Overview

A flowering of African-American literature, music, and art centered in Harlem that asserted Black pride, identity, and cultural achievement.

Key Figures

Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, Claude McKay, Countee Cullen

Key Works

Hughes's 'The Weary Blues' (1925), McKay's 'If We Must Die' (1919), Hurston's 'Sweat' (1926)

Themes

  • Black identity
  • Pride
  • Music and vernacular
  • Racial justice
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