Historical context is an important aspect to consider in literature; its presence gives the reader a better understanding of and deeper appreciation for the work created. Through context, we can analyze and interpret works of the past. We can also gain further understanding on why some people behaved, or rather didn’t behave, in a certain way. Larsen’s Passing was written in 1929, during a time that later came to be known as ‘The Harlem Renaissance”. The Harlem Renaissance was a turning point in black cultural history and is thus, important knowledge to have as will serve as background and extra context for the novel, Passing. The National Museum of African-American History and Culture offers some information on the cultural significance of the Harlem Renaissance..
With the end of the Civil War in 1865, thousands of African Americans were newly freed and unchained from the ever-lasting bonds of slavery that had been surrounding them for decades. With their new freedom, the African Americans had one dream: to finally be viewed as equals to the whites and have the ability to fully participate in the once viewed as ‘white people only’ American affairs. But alas, by the late 1870s, the dream began to drift away, turning once again into a small hope only present in the deepest, most vulnerable part of their minds. The notion of white supremacy was quickly restored and racial segregation was once again at large. With the booming economics in the North and Midwest and numerous jobs made available to every race, many African Americans realized that their hopes and dreams laid outside the South. With the arrival of the 20th century, many African Americans moved and relocated to areas like Chicago, Los Angeles, Detroit, and New York.
The Harlem section of Manhattan occupied nearly 175,000 African Americans, making the neighborhood the one with the largest occupation of black people in the world. Later, Harlem came to be known as the destination of African Americans of all backgrounds, from unskilled laborers to educated middle classes. Despite their different backgrounds, they all seemed to share a few similarities between them: experiences of slavery, racial oppression, and a very strong determination to fight their way through life and coming out the end as ‘free’ people.
This migration, otherwise known as The Great Migration, brought to Harlem some of the brightest minds and talents of its day including artists and scholars. Such talents ended up producing one of the most significant period of cultural expression in the nation’s history: The Harlem Renaissance. Similar cultural explosions and talents also surfaced in other areas shaped by the Great Migration like Cleveland and Los Angeles. The Harlem Renaissance comprised poetry, painting, jazz and swing music, and opera and dance. What united these diverse forms was their realistic expression and unique interpretation of what it meant to be black in America.
Among the Renaissance’s most significant contributors were W.E.B Du Bois*, Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington and many others.
At the highest of the movement, Harlem was the peak of American culture. The neighborhood was swarmed with African American-owned and run shops, companies, nightclubs, etc… The literature, music, and fashion they created defined culture for all Americans around the world, including the whites.
However, all good things come to an end. As the 1920s came to a close, so did the Harlem Renaissance. The close was mainly triggered by the Stock Market Crash of 1929 which caused the Great Depression. This country’s economic downfall ultimately affected all African American-owned businesses and publications. It also deeply affected the arts due to the lack of financial support from the foundations and theatrical organizations.
Despite its downfall, the Harlem Renaissance period was a true turning point in American and black history, as was its impact. The movement produced and highlighted great talents and works of African American art. It also inspired numerous future African American artists as well as intellectuals. The period’s greatest achievement, however, was the way it was able radically redefine the way people of other races viewed and treated African Americans forever.
* W.E.B Du Bois is the author of “Souls of Black Folk”.
Great post! The Harlem Renaissance was truly a turnining point for African Americans. And a quote regarding “cultural explosions” and talents stood out to me:
“The Harlem Renaissance comprised poetry, painting, jazz and swing music, and opera and dance. What united these diverse forms was their realistic expression and unique interpretation of what it meant to be black in America”
I also believe the originality that these forms possessed played a vital role in expressing what it meant to be African American. Because these forms were a result of the “cultural explosions” you referred to.
However, what does it mean that a place undergoes a cultural explosion? Does it only include the artistic aspects, or everything that comes with a culture (religion, tradition, beliefs, food?) I feel like in the case of Harlem, the cultural explosion is not as explosive, because most African American’s were born and raised in America, meaning that they might have followed a similar religion, belief and tradition as white Americans. Maybe not identical, but similar.
The Harlem Renaissance really was the stepping stone for African-Americans to have a place that they can call their own after years of slavery.
Something that has always struck out to me regarding the Renaissance has been how were the African-Americans received by the North.
I assume that there was a lot of racism and prejudice and overall a lot of adjusting to do for the ones that migrated. And as segregation was not as massive in the North as it was in the South, it must still have been pretty hard to find a place to stay, a proper job or fit in a culture that was not theirs.
I found an article that goes into detail about the Great Migration http://www.inmotionaame.org/print.cfm;jsessionid=f8302465371582626674982?migration=8&bhcp=1 and it basically covers the transition period from the South to the North, describing the intense journies they faced, the blatant racism once they reached the North, the housing and job crisis, and the various riots that broke out against the racism.
If we were to go further in time, what happened in the Great Depression that caused the downfall of African-American Communities, really did show that no matter where the people went, they would always be considered lesser than, and they were given the opportunity in the ’20s because of the whites were too busy having the time of their lives. When reality hit, they seemed to realize that black communities actually don’t deserve what they have, and they tried (and succeeded) in ‘taking back’ the country from the cultural explosion of The Harlem Renaissance. Overall, the African-Americans never did stop fighting, and to this day know that they deserve the freedom of expression and the right to freedom of speech in America.
Here are some further readings highlighting the journey of African-Americans in America:
https://www.britannica.com/topic/African-American/African-American-life-during-the-Great-Depression-and-the-New-Deal
https://www.citylab.com/equity/2018/01/the-great-migration-the-first-moving-to-opportunity-project/551309/
https://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/presentationsandactivities/presentations/immigration/african7.html
This post is really interesting, I thoroughly enjoyed retouching on this topic as I was first introduced to it in Dr. Kristens 214 American Literature course about a year ago. Historical context is crucial to understanding and piecing together different narratives, scenarios, time eras and the dynamics in play. The Harlem Renaissance was an important milestone in black history in the United States. The freedom, autonomy and self governance that black African Americans gained effectively assisted in rewriting and regaining their history, identities and culture and experience, in addition to allowing authorship and production that deviated from conventional and normative white art, literature and music.
Even today, Harlem Renaissance paved the way for African Americans to advance and further their stance in society. African Americans were able to put themselves out there to demonstrate their intellectual and creative talents, efforts and personal flair in various fields such as music, art and literature. Noteworthy figures include: Langston Hughes, W. E. B. Du Bois, Billie Holiday, Aaron Douglas. It is fascinating to follow up on how the Harlem Renaissance peaked and how it was intertwined with American culture due to its rich and high quality material that was produced
Shout-out to 214! 🙂
An important question suggested by the original post and your reply is: In what ways might Larsen’s novel claim new space and “deviat[e] from conventional and normative white” cultural forms? (In her content? Approach to the inner lives of characters? In the form and structure of the novel?)
Thank you, Laila, for this post! And to the responders for extra information (and helpful links, Malaika!)
The historical contexts of literature can provide fruitful ways to interpret the text. For instance, based on the post above:
– Do you see echoes of the Great Migration in the novel? How that experience shaped black communities in the novel?
– How is Harlem represented and characterized in the novel?
– How are economic realities presented in the novel? Does consumerism play a role in the tensions and conflicts of the novel?
[P.S. When you have a moment, Laila, I recommend editing the post so that the original source is named and linked to at the beginning of the post, rather than at the end.]