The Harlem RenaissanceIn Harlem between the 1920s and 1930s, African-American culture flourished, particularly in areas such as music, art, literature, dance and even cinema. This quickly became known as the Harlem Renaissance. With all the positive and negative situations during this period, African Americans always seemed to have it all. The Harlem Renaissance grew out of changes in the African American community following the abolition of slavery due to World War I and the social and cultural changes of the early 20th century in the United States. After the difficult conditions for African Americans after the Plessy v. Ferguson trial, many of them decided to settle North, in New York. As they remained in the South, they became increasingly economically depressed and the demand for labor declined. Moving to the North became one of the best things African Americans did for themselves. There, men could vote and there was a better education system for children. Following World War I and the Industrial Revolution, African Americans also enjoyed greater employment opportunities. When the American Civil War ended in 1865, many free African Americans were looking for a place with educational and employment opportunities. They ended up finding this place in Harlem, New York. It was here that the first black middle class was created. In the early 1900s, the African American middle class began to advocate for racial equality. At this time, WEB DuBois was leading the civil rights movement. Soon after, he began working closely with other civil rights advocates and activists. Together they discovered the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, also known as t...... middle of paper ...... show applauded the appreciation of roots and of African-American culture. For example, literature written during this time showed artistic and imaginative ideas liberating black people from their past lives and what had happened to their ancestors just years before. Since these cultural experiences were now shared, African Americans celebrated it and today it gives us just a small glimpse into part of our history. .htmlhttp://www.biography.com/tv/classroom/harlem-renaissanceWallington, D. (2006) Harlem RenaissanceWiseman, G. (2008) How the Harlem Renaissance inspired a national community of black writersWatson, Steven. (1995) The Harlem Renaissance: Center of African-American Culture (1920-1930) Baker, Houston. (1992) Modernism and the Harlem Renaissance.