Harlem Renaissance

Scholars are divided as to whether Wright should be considered part of the Harlem Renaissance, but all agree that his work was powerfully influenced by the cultural movement that was ending just as Wright's career was beginning. After World War I, the Harlem neighborhood of New York City was home to more African Americans than any other urban area in the United States. It soon became a cultural epicenter where musicians, artists, and writers thrived. The impact of what became known as the Harlem Renaissance was magnified by the fact that white audiences embraced its artists and their works. For the first time, large numbers of white Americans supported African American artists by listening to their music in nightclubs and by reading their literary works. It was a time when a broad spectrum of Americans learned about and came to appreciate African American culture.

Wright moved...