The Genesis Of The Mid Twentieth Century America - 3651 Words

Every cultural movement has its genesis and its icon. The genesis of mid-twentieth century America’s African cultural movement was Harlem, and out of love for Harlem and its people came its â€Å"poet laureate† Langston Hughes (Davis 276). One cannot conduct any scholarly investigation of Harlem without encountering a barrage of information regarding Langston Hughes. Likewise, one cannot study Langston Hughes without encountering Harlem. When Langston Hughes first experienced Harlem, he had a reaction that would profoundly impact his writing for the rest of his life: â€Å"I can never put into words the underground ride to Harlem. I went up the stairs and out into the bright September sunlight. Harlem! I stood there, dropped my bags, took a deep†¦show more content†¦Not everyone was in Harlem for the grand allure of the art scene or the spiritual hope for a better tomorrow. Many were there to experience unusual ecstasy in the black community, and as a result m any spectacular cabarets sprung up in Harlem (Davis 276). Furthermore, there was an overwhelming curiosity on part of many white intellectuals to experience this extraordinary dream-like Harlem. An African-American journal of the time recorded, â€Å"White people are taking a morbid interest in the night life of [Harlem]† (qtd. in Osofsky 236). Not only were white people â€Å"morbidly interested,† but this New Negro movement was impacting all aspects of the cultural scene in New York as everyone attempted to become a part of the newest item in vogue. As novelist Rudolph Fisher had explained, â€Å"Negro stock is going up and everybody’s buying† (qtd. in Osofsky 234). In â€Å"Jazz Band in a Parisian Cabaret† Hughes demonstrates this mixed party atmosphere common during the 1920s in Paris as well as America: Play that thing, Jazz band! Play it for the lords and ladies, For the dukes and counts, For the whores and gigolos, For the American millionaires, And the school teachers Out for a spree. (1-8) Harlem was magnetic, drawing people from all walks of life. As Hughes also explained at the time, â€Å"Harlem was like a great magnet for the Negro intellectual, pulling him from everywhere† (qtd. in Gates 10). This â€Å"NegroShow MoreRelatedA Brief Note On Science And The Nineteenth Century1249 Words   |  5 PagesFaith v.s Science Sunya Hassan History 10 Faith vs. Science in the Nineteenth Century Throughout history, the comparison of faith and science have caused debate between our historians. However, they can agree that the nineteenth century was somewhat of a blurred line in American history to determine where the population’s allegiance laid. While the Second Great Awakening riled up a lot of devout Baptists and Methodists, science had also taken a toll with the Industrial Revolution. 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