Lecture Notes on the Harlem Renaissance

Introduction to the Harlem Renaissance

• Welcome and recap of previous lectures focusing on the Reconstruction era after the American Civil War.

Overview of the Harlem Renaissance

• The topic of this week's lecture is the Harlem Renaissance, using Glenn Jordan's 2011 essay titled "Remembering the African American Past: Langston Hughes, Out of the Glass, and Black Art of the Harlem Renaissance."
  • Encouragement for students to read the essay fully for deeper understanding.
• Objectives of the Lecture:
  • Define the Harlem Renaissance.
  • Contextualize its historical origins.
  • Understand the author’s perspective on the movement.

Understanding Glenn Jordan's Perspective

• Glenn Jordan's background:

  • Cultural historian and photographer.
  • Specializes in African American intellectual history and collective memory.

• Key Themes in Jordan's Work:

  • Identity, representation, and multiculturalism as central themes in his photography and writing.
  • Focus on the politics of representation and collective memory.

• Jordan's Argument:

  • Harlem Renaissance transcends mere artistic movement; it is a significant political project aimed at reconceptualizing African American history.

Defining the Harlem Renaissance

• Common Definition:

  • Generally viewed as an artistic explosion in literature and arts occurring mainly in Harlem during the 1920s.

• Historical Context:

  • The Harlem Renaissance actually began in the 1890s and continued into the 1930s.

• Characteristics of the Movement:

  • Emergence of black literary genres, including poetry, music, visual arts, photography, fiction, and plays.
  • The movement aimed to reconstruct African American history and identity.

Broader Implications of the Harlem Renaissance

• The Harlem Renaissance as a Political Project:

  • Not only an aesthetic expression but part of a broader dialogue on political and historical reconstruction for African Americans.
  • Encouraged critical engagement with the history and memory to challenge dominant narratives.

• Concept of Counter-Memory:

  • Definition: A memory that reconstructs and reclaims history, countering dominant narratives that misrepresent African Americans.
  • Example: The reconstruction of positive memories and identities to push against the historical erasure by systems of oppression.

Historical Origins of the Harlem Renaissance

• Great Migration:

  • Massive movement of African Americans from the rural South to urban centers in the North and Midwest, beginning in the late 1890s.
  • Created densely populated black communities which became centers for artistic expression and cultural exchange.

• Impact of World War I:

  • Many African American soldiers fought for democracy abroad, only to face segregation and racial violence upon returning home:
  • This contradiction fueled racial consciousness and activism.

• Role of Black Intellectuals:

  • Emergence of influential black institutions and intellectuals:
  • Examples: W.E.B. Du Bois, Marcus Garvey, etc.
  • Focused on racial pride, double consciousness, and the reclamation of African heritage.

Concept of Remembering in African American History

• The term "remembering" is hyphenated:

  • Signifies a deeper act of piecing together fragmented histories and identities rather than simply recalling forgotten memories.

• Importance of Re-membering:

  • Represents the reconstruction of identity and historical continuity disrupted by slavery and segregation.
  • The Harlem Renaissance is seen as an act of reassembling these fragmented narratives through artistic and intellectual engagement.

• Self-Creation through Memory:

  • Jordan emphasizes the act of self-recollection, or bringing together fragmented identities and histories in the process of artistic expression.

The New Negro Concept

• Definition of the New Negro:

  • Coined by Alain Locke in 1925, denoting a confident, assertive, educated African American who rejects the patterns of acquiescence to societal norms.

• Expanding the New Negro Concept:

  • Beyond personality types, Jordan relates it to a broader historical consciousness.
  • Represents a break from internalized racial inferiority, fostering political and cultural self-awareness and reclaiming African heritage.

Conclusion of Lecture

• Summary of Core Concepts Discussed:

  • The Harlem Renaissance as a deliberate cultural and political movement aiming to reconstruct African American history, beyond mere artistic expression.
  • Historical catalysts for the movement: Great Migration, aftermath of World War I, and dynamic intellectual climate.
  • The significance of the New Negro as a representation of renewed identity and historical awareness.

• Anticipation for Next Lecture:

  • Further exploration of key figures from the Harlem Renaissance, particularly Langston Hughes, as discussed in Jordan's essay and their contributions to the reconstruction of African American identity.