Today, the Hip Hop movement  has had a huge impact on worldwide youth culture.

But back in 1920s New York, another cultural phenomenon had a similarly large impact on our nation’s culture.

It was called the Harlem Renaissance and it was an exciting time of literary, artistic, musical, and cultural happenings. We have found some cool clips that show a few notable developments of that movement.

The clip above is extremely fun to watch and depicts the Lindy Hop dance craze.  The clip comes from the 1941 film Hellzapoppin’.

A few venues in the region served as major cultural centers and helped artists like Billie Holiday, featured in the above clip with Louis Armstrong, find their way to a larger audience.

Musicians commonly performed at popular nightclubs like Savoy Ballroom, the Apollo Theatre (where Billie launched her career), and the Cotton Club. She went on to write songs that attacked the institutions of racism and injustice, providing important social commentary.

Musicians developed new musical techniques such as the Harlem Stride Style, a way to play the piano that developed partially from ragtime and jazz.

The clip above features Joe Turner, a musician who got his big break playing Stride Style in Harlem, eventually playing with Louis Armstrong.

Literature was also a very important part of the movement. This rendition of Langston Hughes’ 1923 poem “The Weary Blues” is an example.

Most of the literary works of this time contained important social commentary on the racism and stereotypes that were pervasive.

Enjoy the videos and let us know what you think. This is just one component of the rich archive of African American culture that you should learn more about! How have these things impacted current culture? How was this movement significant in the grand scheme of history?