Before we can go on our journey through the Harlem Renaissance we must recognize that this era would not be possible without the great migration. 

The Great Migration was the period when African Americans moved North to escape the awful racism of the south and for better jobs and living opportunities.

Harlem was meant to be for white people but once the migration took place white people fled Harlem and black people took over. 

 So hold on tight, and let’s take a ride through 1920s Harlem!

 Greetings! from Harlem in the 1920s. It’s the best place to party in New York. It’s the Harlem Renaissance, the greatest period of knowledge and culture rebirth for African American art, music, dance, literature, and politics.

 Are you interested in dancing, singing, and the finest entertainment known to man? Then come on down to the Cotton Club it'll be a great deal of fun!

Come and witness the greatest African American entertainers of the time.  We got Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, and Cab Calloway too! Bring your friends and enjoy dancing while listening to the Blues. 

If you are entering, you have to be white. It may be the Harlem Renaissance but,  segregation is very much alive.

 Let's take a pit stop in the world of art, where the African American story is told in a very artistic way.

 Come and witness the “father of African-American art,” Aaron Douglas who in his paintings represented African heritage but also shed light on important topics such as racism and segregation. 

 Still in the art world? Then stay awhile and experience African American life, identity, and culture through the lens of James Van Der Zee, whose favorite thing to take was portraits.

Off we go to take a look at the literature side of things. We got Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston who helped pave the way for future black poets and writers.