New Negro Movement Essay

The state of racial equality in America has been a hot topic since the beginnings of this nation. From the origins of slavery to the currently racial tension, concepts of civil rights reign as a primary problem in the United States to this day. As times changed and African Americans slowly fell into dominant roles in the entertainment business, a developing sense of self awareness led to an overwhelming surge of African American pride and the civil rights movement. The 1920’s-30s saw such a transformation in the perspective of black people even within their own community that it came to be referred to as the New Negro Movement. Professor Clement Alexander Price of Rutgers U, Newark encompassed the transformation of black people during this time: “Notwithstanding the memories of slavery, and in the face … (of) ignorance, terrorism, and subjugation still deeply woven into their lives, the embittered past of blacks was taken onto a much higher plane of intellectual and artistic consideration during the Renaissance.” Although the movement towards equality really took off in the 1950’s to 1960’s, the strength and soul of the civil rights movement originated in the Harlem Renaissance as expressed by the liberating art, music, and literature of the time. The African American population’s first experiences of the new country was in shackles. A hierarchy based on skin color became evident as the darker the pigment, the “less domesticized” the person was perceived to be. Accordingly the darker people were sent to do manual labor whereas the lighter had jobs within the home. This separation translated into future life, where the darker the skin the more threatening/physical the person was looked at as being. Slaves were often physically punished for their unsuccesses, being beaten enough to have been shown a point but not enough to keep them from working. Deep down, there were nerves of a backlash from the slaves. It is possible that this is part of the reason white people were so hesitant to give them a place in society; they were afraid their years of torture would awaken a beast. But in the end, the unified group of African Americans really had been awoken. Despite getting emancipated in 1863, many actions were taken to keep African Americans out of politics through Jim Crow laws and scare tactics such as the KKK. Abraham Lincoln made it very clear in his Emancipation Proclamation that slavery had no place in American Society. However, this small success for racial equality did little for the general integration. The mid 1860s saw legal actions taken, as the rights of African Americans were written into the constitution. They were officially able to vote. However, many local governments issued literacy tests to keep black people out of the office. Many times this included reciting aspects of the constitution “to the liking of the person judging”. Regardless of the quality of the recitation, the results very rarely favored the …show more content…
This artistic movement was pioneered by many influential artists who celebrated their blackness through this medium. Aaron Douglas (1899-1979) was primarily known for the emotional appeal of his pieces. A leading artist during the Harlem Renaissance, his art clearly represented his African heritage through the geometric shapes (some of which rivaled the structures of African masks) as well as references to traditional dances. His personal styles soon came to be known as Afro Cubism. Through personal experience in the urban Harlem life, his pieces-- primarily murals -- came to depict the hottest spots in Black New York. They spoke to his peers’ desire for political and social respect. His most popular series, Aspects of Negro Life (1934) did just that; it depicts silhouettes (presumed to be African American) in many recurring themes of slavery, racism, and the celebration of the rebirth of their culture.
Similarly, Lois Mailou Jones (1905-1998) was not only a respected artist, but also a renowned professor at Howard University and an international ambassador for artists. Although her styles ranged from ethnic to traditional landscapes, her popularity really surged in the 30s with her traditional African themes. Her painting The Ascent of Ethiopia (1932) explored African life in the contexts of skyscrapers and American life. Jones made use of very vibrant and celebratory colors while portraying masks and African people on the road to