Black History Month Celebration 2022

A collaboration between Cedarhurst Center for the Arts and Mt. Vernon City Schools, District 80

Theme: The Harlem Renaissance – Jazz, Poetry and Art

Goals: To inspire an appreciation for Jazz, Art, and Poetry created during the Harlem Renaissance. We will create art projects inspired by the artists of the time period, focus on the poetry of Langston Hughes, and listen to several great musicians of the time.

In the older grade levels, we will engage in conversations around the discussion questions listed below. This will help us understand why the Harlem Renaissance happened and how this revival of African American cultural and artistic expression was such an important time in our American History.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

Below are multiple discussion questions meant to engage students’ interest and introduce this year’s BHM Theme (Grades 4th and up).

What does Renaissance mean? A revival of or renewed interest in something. The ‘original’ Renaissance era was a time period in the history of Europe beginning about 1400, following the Medieval period. “Renaissance” is a French word meaning “rebirth”. … The Renaissance was seen as a “rebirth” of that learning. The Renaissance is often said to be the start of the “modern age”.
What is the Harlem Renaissance? Harlem was the cultural mecca attracting black artists, writers, photographers, musicians and poets, many fleeing the oppression of the South and seeking freedom to develop their talents. African-Americans used the arts to display their humanity and push for equality.
Where is Harlem? Harlem is a large neighborhood within the northern section of the New York City borough of Manhattan. Since the 1920s, Harlem has been known as a major African-American residential, cultural and business center. … Black residents began to arrive en masse in 1905, with numbers fed by the Great Migration.
What is the Great Migration? The Great Migration (Or Great Northward Migration, or Black Migration) was the relocation of more than 6 million African Americans from the rural South to the cities of the North between 1916-1970. The driving force behind the mass movement was to escape racial violence, pursue economic and educational opportunities, and obtain freedom from the oppression of Jim Crow.
What were the Jim Crow Laws? Jim Crow laws were a collection of state and local statutes that legalized racial segregation. The laws lasted for about 100 years, from the post-Civil War era until 1968—they were meant to marginalize African Americans by denying them the right to vote, hold jobs, get an education or other opportunities. Those who attempted to defy Jim Crow laws often faced arrest, fines, jail sentences, violence and death. Jim Crow laws kept black people in an inferior position relative to white people, and they were denied political rights. There were more jobs available in the North, and, though racism was rampant, racial segregation was not mandated there. They embarked on the Great Migration seeking economic and social opportunity.
Why did the Harlem Renaissance happen? This was the first time black people in America were able to express a strong sense of racial pride. Through the Arts, i.e. poetry, music, painting, novels, plays, essays, etc they promoted equality, condemned racism and injustice, and celebrated African American culture.

FAMOUS PEOPLE:

Below are famous people from the Harlem Renaissance that inspired and influenced one another, oftentimes making art, music, and poetry together.

Musicians:

Billie Holiday – jazz singer known as “Lady Day.” Famous songs: ‘Summertime’ and ‘Strange Fruit’ tells the story of lynching in the south.
Louis Armstrong – jazz trumpet player known as “Satchmo.” Famous songs: ‘What a Wonderful World’ ‘When the Saints Go Marching In’ and ‘Dream a Little Dream of Me’
Duke Ellington – composer, pianist, and leader of a jazz orchestra.
Marian Anderson – opera singer who became the first African American to perform at the Metropolitan Opera.
Count Basie, Cab Calloway, Dorothy Dandridge, Lena Horn, Bessie Smith, Ma Rainey, and several more.

Artists:

Romare Bearden – most well known for his collages of jazz musicians and NYC
Jacob Lawrence – a painter (dynamic cubism) most well-known for his 60-panel The Migration Series which depicted the Great Migration of African Americans from the rural South
Beauford Delaney – a modern painter, abstract expressionism

Poet: