Harlem Renaissance

The Harlem Renaissance marked the first significant artistic movement coming out of Black culture. Centered in the Harlem borough of New York City, the movement produced notable works of literature, music, dance, and visual art. Writers included W.E.B. DuBois and Langston Hughes. Hughes' poetry used the rhythms of Black music, particularly blues and jazz. This allowed Hughes to experiment with a very rhythmic free verse. Harlem's Cotton Club was an important location, where White audiences were exposed to ideas of the Harlem Renaissance - including Jazz.