A confluence of events allowed African-American literature to flourish in the United States in the 1920s. W.E.B. DuBois, a black political leader, had asserted that, in seeking equality, African-Americans should not emulate white conventions but rather embrace their own cultural heritage. Then, during World War I, thousands of African-Americans migrated to northern cities to work in defense plants, a population shift that sparked unprecedented white interest in the African-American lifestyle. Black authors descended upon the Harlem district of New York City to take advantage of a previously unimaginable audience and publishing opportunity.

The writers and poets who participated in the “Harlem Renaissance” did not share a literary philosophy or purpose. They were linked, however, by the common experience of being an African-American, and together they created the first substantial body of literature to explore life from that perspective. While African-American writers previously had imitated white writers, they now expressed, with their own distinctive and vigorous style, the joy and agony of the black American. Above all, they displayed intense pride in their race and heritage.

Jean Toomer’s Cane, a collection of poetry and prose evoking black urban and rural life, generally is considered the movement’s finest accomplishment. Langston Hughes, meanwhile, is its most famous participant, having gained success in virtually every literary form. Although the greatest achievements were in literature, the Harlem Renaissance also included important artists and musicians.

PostScript: The movement ended with the onset of America’s Great Depression, which turned the attention of the Renaissance’s white supporters away from the concerns of African-Americans and toward economics and politics.