The project is named after the Harlem Renaissance, an artistic and cultural movement that took place in the early to mid-1900s.
It was driven by the Great Migration, which was the historic movement of Black people who fled the segregated and wildly racist South to Northern cities such as Harlem, Detroit, Chicago, Baltimore, Newark, and Cleveland. The Harlem Renaissance empowered Black musicians, artists, writers, politicians, and businesses to challenge racist stereotypes, celebrate racial pride, and create a new cultural identity. It was crucial in laying the groundwork for modern popular American culture and the civil rights movement. Here are 30 pictures that capture the magic of that time.
1.
Here is Louis Armstrong, playing the trumpet along with his band. Armstrong is widely credited with reviving traditional jazz, and is one of the most influential jazz musicians of all time.
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And here he is (center right, in dark suit) posing on stage with a band for the WMSB radio station.
3.
Josephine Baker was arguably the first Black global superstar entertainer. Her legacy laid the groundwork for modern-day stars like Nicki Minaj or Cardi B. In 1923, Baker landed her first role on Broadway in Shuffle Along. The show was the first successful Black musical and launched her career. Soon after, she moved to France to star in La Revue Negre and became an icon. By the end of the 1920s, she was the highest-paid performer in Europe, a club owner, and one of the most famous acts in the world. She often posed or performed nude or dressed seductively, showcasing the beauty and sexuality of Black women in contrast to the racist stereotypes that had flooded popular media and painted them in an unflattering light.
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Here she is posing with an elephant model.
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And here is Baker being pulled by an ostrich on a racing sulky.
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Black Americans have been influencing American popular culture forever! Here is a duo practicing the Lindy Hop, a dance originating in Harlem. The Lindy Hop was a freestyle type dance with improvisational moves that included the “swingout” and athletic aerials.
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That upper body strength had to be on point!
9.
Here is a group of Black men and women in uniform marching in a Marcus Garvey rally in Harlem, 1924.
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And here is the man himself, Marcus Garvey. He was a Black nationalist and Pan-Africanist. Born in Jamaica, Garvey migrated to Harlem and formed the philosophy known as Garveyism. He was a highly controversial figure who believed in Black separatism and even associated with the KKK, a white supremacist group that also believed Black people should separate from America. Despite his sometimes volatile and problematic views, Garvey built the foundation of Black nationalism and pride, and was largely responsible for spreading the idea that Black Americans were better off leaving the U.S. and taking care of themselves rather than relying on the American government.
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Here he is, in the backseat, in the feathered cap, riding around Harlem.
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Here is Gladys Bentley, a famous lesbian cross-dressing blues artist. She rose to fame during the Harlem Renaissance by performing at Harry Hansberry’s Clam House, which was a gay speakeasy. Bentley performed with a group of drag queens, dressed in men’s clothing, and sang explicit songs in a deep, manly voice, often flirting with audience members. She helped create the blueprint for modern-day drag culture in America.
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And here she is posing for a portrait in 1930.
14.
Here is Ethel Waters, dancing in Cabin in the Sky, a musical with an all-Black cast. Waters is the second Black person to be nominated for an Academy Award, the first Black woman to be nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award, and the first to star in her own TV show.
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These three women are dressed to impress. Elegant dresses and cloche hats were all the rage during the Harlem Renaissance.
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The Zoot Suit was a popular style worn by men during this time.
17.
Here is Langston Hughes, an American activist and writer in every sense of the word: poet, columnist, playwright, and novelist. He is widely acknowledged as the catalyst and leader of the Harlem Renaissance. In 1926, he published what many deem a manifesto of the Harlem Renaissance: “The younger Negro artists who create now intend to express our individual dark-skinned selves without fear or shame. If white people are pleased we are glad. If they are not, it doesn’t matter. We know we are beautiful. And ugly, too. The tom-tom cries, and the tom-tom laughs. If colored people are pleased we are glad. If they are not, their displeasure doesn’t matter either. We build our temples for tomorrow, strong as we know how, and we stand on top of the mountain free within ourselves.”
18.
Here he is with his mother, Carrie Langston Hughes, during his graduation from Lincoln University in 1929.
19.
Although she wasn’t based in Harlem, Bessie Smith, aka the Empress of Blues, is considered a staple in Harlem Renaissance culture. She redefined blues music, influencing artists like Billie Holiday, Aretha Franklin, and Janis Joplin. Smith was openly bisexual, and was the highest-paid black entertainer of her day. She famously travelled in a 72-foot-long railroad car.
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Here she is performing on stage.
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Here is Cab Calloway, a famous scat singer who performed at the legendary Cotton Club in Harlem. He became the first Black person to sell a million records with his hit single “Minnie the Moocher.”
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Here he is in a zoot suit!
23.
And speaking of the Cotton Club, here it is in the early 1930s. This club originally did not serve Black people, although a long list of famous Black artists performed here. It was created by legendary boxer Jack Johnson and renowned gangster Owney Madden, who led the underground anti-prohibition liquor movement. Everyone from Duke Ellington and Cab Calloway to Ethel Waters and Bessie Smith performed here regularly to a white crowd that was hungry for Black music and art.
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Although Black patrons were initially banned (and several racist images of Black people adorned the club), the Cotton Club employed many Black women as “chorus girls.” These women, often light-skinned, tall, and under 21 years old, wore skimpy outfits and brought dances that were popular in Black communities to white audiences.
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For male dancers, the Cotton Club was less strict on its “light-skinned” rule. Below, you can see dark-skinned Black men to the left in top hats, performing for an all-white audience.
26.
In 1935, the Cotton Club opened its doors to Black patrons and paid tap dancer and performer Bill “Bojangles” Robinson $3,500 a week, the most ever paid to a nightclub performer at the time.
27.
Legendary composer Duke Ellington provided much of the music for The Cotton Club during its Harlem years. He was paid to create “jungle music” for a white audience. A famous review of his performance at the time stated, “So long may the empirical Duke and his music-making roosters reign—and long may the Cotton Club continue to remember that it came down from Harlem”. Below is an image of Duke and his band.
28.
Duke Ellington was the defining musical figure of the Harlem Renaissance. His orchestra’s sophisticated jazz sound and his residency at the Cotton Club thrust him into national fame on the radio. He pioneered the “jungle style” of jazz and originated the “big band” jazz style. His influence on music and culture in America is so far-reaching that I could write an entire article on that alone.
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Here is Duke with Billie Holiday.
30.
And lastly, here’s one more image of swing dancing because I’m low-key obsessed.
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