Inspiration T r U E

The Club

The Harlem Renaissance was a

cultural movement for African

Americans in the United States.

The Harlem Renaissance featured

some of the all-time greatest

African American authors, poets,

artists, and musicians. The

Harlem Renaissance was a way of

African Americans showing all

American people that African

American culture is just as

enriched and impressive as any

other culture. The idea that they

tried to share has finally been

realized by the majority of people

in America's current culture. "PAL: Harlem Renaissance: A Brief Introduction." California State University

Stanislaus | Home. Web. 23 Feb. 2011.

<http://www.csustan.edu/english/reuben/pal/chap9/9intro.html>.

The Harlem Renaissance started

because of a great shift of African

Americans in America from the

south to the north. Many African

American authors, poets, and

artists moved to Harlem, New

York. In the 1920's, they

showcased their talents in places

like the Cotton Club and The

Apollo. Many Caucasians amused

themselves by watching the

African Americans express

themselves in a way that they did

not understand. Harlem was

seen as a great party throughout

the 1920's and the beginning of

the 1930's. The Harlem

Renaissance was halted to an end

by the Great Depression.

Because the African Americans

were not making enough money

to support themselves in Harlem,

they had to leave Harlem and

disperse across the United States.

Unfortunately, this ended the

unity that the African American

culture had in its rise towards an

equal society.

Growing up, what was your

childhood/family life like?

I grew up with a catholic father

and my mother was Baptist,

therefore I had a very religious

upbringing. Being in the city.

Did you ever attend school or get

any kind of education?

I did have some education, but not

very much. I passed up an art

scholarship to study at the Pratt

Institute in Brooklyn New York

just so I could spend time on my

first love; music.

Who or what influenced you to write

music and sing and how?

I think that what influenced me

the most was my love for music and

playing the piano. I also believe

that me living in Harlem helped

inspire me to write the songs I did.

Why did you live in Harlem? Did

you enjoy it?

I moved to Harlem in 1923 and was

a bandleader at that time. Later, in

1927, I secured an important

engagement at the famous Cotton

Club in Harlem.

What do you think about yourself

being a part of the Harlem

Renaissance and what impact did it

have on your life?

I'm proud to be a part of the Harlem

Renaissance and I think it changed a

lot of my perspectives of life at that

time. I say this because I received

many awards and was greatly

recognized for my works. However,

I do not want to be remembered for

my awards. Instead I want people to

remember my songs and be inspired

by them and myself the way I was.

http://www.notablebiographies.com/Du-Fi/Ellington-

Duke.html

Aaron Douglas, study for God's

Trombones

William Johnson, Chain

Gang

Jacob Lawrence,

Dreams

Romare Bearden, Jazz

Jacob Lawrence,

Builders

http://www.robinurton.com/history/Harlem.htm

Joseph Holston, Summer

Shower

In loving memory of…

Duke Ellington