Rhythmic Connections - Harlem

Spring Night, Harlem River -
Magic of the City. Ernest Lawson, 1913 -
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"Harlem was a promise
Of a better life, of a place where a man didn't
Have to know his place
Simply because he was
Black."
Harlem. Walt Dean Myers.

Harlem has been the political and cultural centre of black American life in the 20th century. Located in New York city, Harlem became the mecca for artists, writers, musicians and intellectuals, all converging there to live out their hopes and dreams of progress. Influential jazz artists such as Duke Ellington performed at the theatres and nightclubs and writers like Langston Hughes were inspired by the new music. People flocked to famous nightspots such as the Cotton Club, lured by the excitement and energy of the new rhythms, the tap dancers and the high-stepping chorus dancers.

Contemporary award winning young adult author and poet, Walt Dean Myers, grew up in Harlem and wrote a poem which "calls to life the deep, rich and hope-filled history of this community…".

Harlem Renaissance
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The Harlem Renaissance was a period of flourishing artistic expression and cultural activity during the 1920s and early 1930s. Centered in Harlem, New York City, it was an era when some of America's foremost black writers, artists and musicians emerged. The Harlem Renaissance came to an end with the economic depression of the 1930s, but the rich literary and artistic development begun during that time left a significant legacy through the work of writers such as Langston Hughes, artists such as Aaron Douglas and musicians such as Duke Ellington.