As you explore, there are things I want you to think about:
As you explore, think about how these places reveal the spirit of Harlem—the values and interests of its residents during the Renaissance.
1. Begin by locating the places mentioned in Myers' poem "Harlem" (Smalls' Paradise, Abyssinian Church, Lennox Avenue, Strivers' Row etc.).
2. Click throughout the map to visit a sampling of Harlem's churches, businesses, and residences.
After exploring the map, I want you to answer the following questions by posting a comment.
- Which buildings are next to each other?
- What kinds of activities and interactions might have taken place in these locations?
- Who lived in these places?
- How did some of these people inspire creativity and community building?
- Briefly describe the hardships that Harlem Renaissance artists faced in regard to Connie’s Inn and the Cotton Club.
After exploring the map, I want you to answer the following questions by posting a comment.
MAKE SURE YOU ANSWER THE ENTIRE QUESTION.
Think about whether the renaissance that happened in Harlem could have occurred elsewhere. Why or why not? What physical qualities of Harlem might have contributed to the Renaissance? What aspects of community life (e.g., attendance at church, social life) were conducive to the Renaissance?
Think about whether the renaissance that happened in Harlem could have occurred elsewhere. Why or why not? What physical qualities of Harlem might have contributed to the Renaissance? What aspects of community life (e.g., attendance at church, social life) were conducive to the Renaissance?
And finally, here is the link to the site: "A Place Called Harlem"
First!
ReplyDelete-Matt S.
I think that the Harlem Renaissance could have happened other places. If it did happen somewhere else it would most likely be in a big city in the North. It was probably chosen because of the amount of African Americans living there and that it is very close to a very large city. I think that Harlem was chosen because of its location. It is in the North, which was a lot safer than the South for African Americans, and it is very close to New York City. Being close to such a big city gives them easy access to news and also makes it easier for the people there to send out the messages they are making from Harlem. The fact that everyone had the same culture made them able to collect together and create such a Renaissance.
ReplyDelete~Libby S.
I don't believe the Harlem Renaissance could have happened in any other place, because of all of the physical and architectural attributes of the city. Many African Americans choose to live there, which brought other African Americans there. It had a reputation, and therefore people came there. There were many opertunities and places for people to stay, to live, and to have fun. This also brought more people to Harlem. The more people came to this city the more they began to start their own culture.
ReplyDeleteThe attendence of church, I believe, was conductive to the harlem Renaissance because it gave people hope, and it gave them a reason to keep believing. Also I think the attendence to night clubs and musical bars was important because it gave them a way to express themselves.
~Valerie A
I think that the renaissance could have happened somewhere else, but the qualities of Harlem were perfectly set up for a change like this. Harlem is in an ideal location (by a big city in the North). But there are similar places in the North. Harlem had a huge potential for change. The people there were open to change. Also, many of the people living there had the same culture which allowed people to interact and work together. The people gathered in common places which created a very "community" feel. Many African American performers were allowed to perform in clubs and places for white people. This shows that there was still segregation, but it also shows that people are able to gather together, no matter what their race is.
ReplyDelete~Dana Strothenke
I truely believe that the Harlem Renaissance could not have happened anywhere else. This the physical characteristics and community life of Harlem nurtured the movement. Harlem is a sub-borough of New York city, and they fact that New York was in the north made it relatively safer environment than that of southern cities. The borough itself added to the movement physically by being a relatively isolated area, which gave teh community a barrier between itself and the outside culture. Community life that was conductive to the movement was the fact that the neighborhood consisted mainly of African-Americans. Being wiht people wiht the same struggles allowed the persecuted community to band together, and draw on each other's strengths and inspiration. The night-clubs that permited black's were a place to meet and socialize, and enjoy the performance of other lack musicians. For this reason, clubs like Small's Paradise wereconductive to the Harlem Renaissance.
ReplyDeleteThe place of its origin is what made the Harlem Renaissance possible. After all, it is the 'Harlem' Renaissance. The area already contained a sizable population of African-Americans, so it was probably already home to more than a few artists and performers even before the Renaissance began. Others from around the nation presumably moved to Harlem for a similar reason that early American immigrants lived in various ethnic neighborhoods; that is, for safety. For the early immigrants, it was safety from being viewed as an outsider, as well as the ability to get support from their fellows. In the case of the African-American artists and entertainers moving to Harlem, it was the safety of knowing that there they could express themselves freely without being persecuted.
ReplyDelete-Trevor H.
I think that the renaissance that happened in Harlem could have happened someplace else. Harlem was a good place for the renaissance because there was a large population of African Americans living there, it was a big city, and it was in the north. So if the renaissance would have happened somewhere else it would have to be a place like Harlem, a big city and in the north.
ReplyDelete-Mithcell W
I think that New York City was an extraordinary place to have this renaissance. There was and still so much variety in New York, and it was nice for African Americans to have their own small community. Many of their neighbors were fighting the same fight against racism. Mahnattan is also a very big city, which was inspiring and gave blacks hope for the future. However, I believe that the renaissance could have happened in any other big city in the north.
ReplyDeletePeople of the renaissance were flamboyant and bold. Many colorful poets, musicians, and dancers emerged from this era. Most of the people in the area had relatively similar beliefs and living conditions.
The Harlem Renaissance could have happened in other places. It would have to have happened though someplace that is in the north and accepting of African Americans. It could not have happened in the south. It also would have to be in a large city, such as Boston. Some physical aspects that made Harlem a good place for it was that it was in the north and a large city. There was plenty of room for the people to live and enough people to read and listen to there messages. The churches made the renaissance possible because it gave them a place to get help from others and spiritual help. The Cotton Club helped because it gave them a place to meet and perform. The Liberty Hall also gave them a place to promote themselves to others.
ReplyDelete-Jack Mouradian
I believe that the things that happened in Harlem could have happened in other places. However it would have to have had to be in the North and in a large city, such as Chicago. A physical characteristic that resulted in contributing to the renaissance is that it was in the North, where there was generally less racial tension. This allowed them to live safer in a way. Also, being in New York let them have room for many people because it was such a large city. Churches gave many participators in the Harlem Renaissance spiritual support in such unfair times for colored men and women. Clubs such as the Cotton Club gave them places to perform. African Americans were able to show that they were just as good as anyone else and are talented people.
ReplyDeleteJoe Rebholz
I think that the Harlem Renaissance could have only happened in a few places, however I don't believe that Harlem was the only place. This is because there were other cities that were similar to Harlem that were fully capable of going through the same renaissance. Some physical qualities of Harlem that contributed to this renaissance are the strong senses of family and community in the area and simply the outgoing nature of the majority of the individuals in the area. it was very common to see children out playing in the middle of the street. The opportunities for people in the area to express themselves and be themselves in the community were really conducive to the renaissance in my opinion.
ReplyDeleteI dont think that the Harlem Renaissance could have happened somewhere else because of the culture and big thinking that was specific to the city of New York and its citizens both black and white. the fact that the city is in the north and there was more tolerance for black culture helped. The physical qualities that contributed to the Renaissance were the buildings and closeness of everything. People lived close together and could interact more easily. The large buildings provided a place for things like the YMCA and clubs that enouraged self expression. Aspects of community life like attending church and night clubs also contributed to the Renaissance. Church allowed people to feel like they werent alone and supported. Night life allowed people to express themselves.The support, freedom, and sense of community people experienced in Harlem gave people the courage to make the statement they did.
ReplyDeleteI don't think the Harmlem Renaissance could have happened anywhere else. It was in the north, which meant the area was less racist and accepting of the black community then the south was. It was by a very populated are, New york City, making Harlem a very busy full of diverse talent, interests, and people. This creating the very unique and imaginative environment that Harlem was. They were able to recieve and send information quickly. The fact that everyone there was very religous and dependent on the arts, made a very fun and free environment.
ReplyDelete-Gabi Caron-Schuler
I think that the Harlem Renaissance couldn't have occurred anywhere else. For starters, it was in the north which was much less racist than the south. I also think it could have only really occurred in Harlem because New York is such a diverse city. It wasn't just blacks and whites, there were many ethnicity's. I think the fact that there are so many different kinds of people there makes it a little less racist and added to the cultural affect. New York City is bursting with culture, which probably influenced the different writers and musicians.
ReplyDeleteGrace Nell