Apollo's Impact On African American Culture

The purpose for writing this essay is to demonstrate how gentrification is shaping the Culture and identity for Halrmites from the socio-economic perspective. Harlem has changed dramatically over the last two decades due to improvement in housing stock and outside investments into the community. However, in my essay, I articulated my ideas toward the economic aspect of gentrification because gentrification is driven by class, not race. My audience would be the lower income Harlem residents who have been displaced or on the verge of displacement because their wealth is not contributing to the economy. The people who have been preserving the cultural identity of Harlem for decades now forced to leave the community. I tried my best to connect a broader audience by explaining the deteriorated housing condition of Harlem and how it led to gentrification. This will help reader

Langston Hughes, in “When the Negro Was in Vogue,” writes about the time when whites started to enter the city of Harlem. The once traditionally African American clubs became over run by those of the opposite race. Since this was during the time of the Jim Crow, African Americans were no longer allowed in their former clubs; the only exception was for celebrities. Even though they wanted to return the hostility, the African Americans did no such thing. However, this caused whites to believe that the African Americans had no qualms with their city being ran over. This lead to an influx in clubs banning African Americans from their club; this was an error, for the whites only came to watch the African Americans “amuse themselves.” Artist such as Gladys Bentley were also hired to bring in crowds. Since then, the author believes Harlem has

Harlem was famous for its glamorous nightlife that allowed the American people an escape from everyday life and its hardships. Harlem had many high end clubs and less popular clubs and parties that everyone could enjoy. The Prohibition didn’t stop these clubs from selling and distributing liquor, in fact it only made it more popular and very profitable. Many musicians, dancers, and singers became famous from their performances in these places or on the streets in front of them. While there were many revered musicians and singers of the time the music was is one of the most important parts of the Harlem Renaissance to this day. The Cotton Club held many prestigious guests and paved the way for many great artists.

Recent events that have highlighted racial tension in the United States have had even a larger number of opinions that vary regarding why the nation continues to struggle with such a challenging issue. In our text Chapter 6 titled “The City/Suburban Divide” (Judd & Swanstrom, 2015, p. 136) identifies a subject that very well may contribute to the tension. A reference to the “urban crisis” describes a landscape that is littered with “high levels of segregation, inequality and poverty, along with racial and ethnic tensions.” (Judd, et al., p. 165) Many scholars argue that the crisis was a result of the demographic changes the nation experienced following World War II as advancements in technology and infrastructure aided White Mobility. The term “White Flight” has been used to describe a massive relocation early in the twentieth century when the White Middle-Class population left the cities for suburban areas following the great migration.

Trotter, Joe William Jr., ed. The Great Migration in Historical Perspective: New Dimensions of Race, Class, and Gender. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1991. A collection of essays examining the role of black social networks in spurring the exodus from the South.

Lilia Fernandez is a Chicago native who rights about how the city’s neighborhoods changed in the 20th century. The history that she describes in her book with the newcomers that have settled within the city’s urban spaces have transformed it now in the 21st century in conjunction with the changes in the racial dynamics and the physical structure that were seen during the 20 year span from 1950-1970. She explores the question of how these tens of thousands of Latinos ended up settling in Chicago. Her work traces the roots of Mexican and Puerto Ricans particularly in terms of their historical roots and their migration, settlement and overall experiences in Chicago. She writes about the neighborhoods they lived (Pilsen, Lincoln Park and Humbolt

This time in the post World War II era, many African Americans had began to become a more urbanized center of population, around 1970. (Inmotionaame, pg. 1) The regular population included about 70 percent of just the natural population to live in more urbanized cities. (Inmotionaame, pg. 1) Soon African Americans dominated, having 80 percent of their community to live and take the same benefits in more urbanized centers of the Unites States. (Inmotionaame, pg. 2) Only about 53 percent of African Americans and others who seemed to migrate stayed in the same area around the South. (Inmotionaame, pg. 2)

She then deals with the Cold War era and its restrictions it placed on them, however focusing on the substance change multiracial organizations were able to achieve despite them. The Cold War and had brought many races to the West Coast, such as African Americans, Mexican Americans, Jewish Americans, as well as immigrants. This had shaped Los Angeles into a multiethnic population; however, the city has faced various racial problems. The individual groups faced discrimination and segregation, however through the coalition among groups, were able to gain strength. Los Angeles began to be looked at by Americans as an example of the potential and the liabilities of a multiracial environment. She stresses interracial unity as well as interracial civil rights activism. “Interracial cooperation,” she states, “shaped the public consciousness on civil rights, fostered careers, and generated influential local and national civil rights initiatives and even victories that, though limited, represented significant transformations” (8–9). Bernstein declares that groups had to work together because they had to do so, in that multiracial problems demanded a common effort. The individual groups realized that they had to come together since they were not powerful enough on their own to achieve their civil rights goals separately. Los Angeles’s interracial civil rights coalitions began to help give rise to the way the city was viewed as by the nation. With this, she emphasizes the long-term role western cities such as Los Angeles played in shaping American race

Bobby Lefebre says, “Watching everything I love about my neighborhood slowly walk into a mere memory is disheartening. It seems like every day there is a new institution, business, or mural being cleared away to make room for the new.” This quote not only helps you understand just how upsetting gentrification is to people who were rooted in these areas, but also how the original atmosphere is no longer apart of the neighborhood. These Chicanos, are not saying that people of other races or backgrounds cannot live in these neighborhoods as well, they just want it to be the same tight knit group of people who are able to help each other out and provide information to people of the same background. The idea of a tight knit community plays an important role in preservation and is imperative to these individual’s survival. Bobby Lefebre also writes, “Let’s honor our past by ensuring Northside communities of all backgrounds are not erased. Let’s work together to preserve our diverse traditions and cultural artifacts; even if preservation means creating things anew.” Even though gentrification is happening in multiple neighborhoods, there is still ideas for how to keep the original feel and the historical value that people who have lived in the area for a long time would benefit from and help give peace of mind, with the changes that are happening in their neighborhood. The ongoing stories of these people can remain in the neighborhood and will grow with them as well as the growing communities. Jolie Diepenhorst comments at the end of Bobby Lefebre’s article and her comment is another voice for how truly upsetting gentrification is to people and the history of the area. She says, “This is a beautifully written piece that illustrates everything that is

It appeared that minorities such as African Americans and Latin Americans came to the Los Angeles area in search for a better life for themselves and their families. They both came to the same place for the same reason: “sharing

This Renaissance was led by a variety of people including writers, musicians, artists, and composers and encouraged and enabled by black publishers and supporters. All of these artists began realistically expressing what it was like to be black in America. Each contributed in their own way. Zora Neal Hurston collected black folklore for publication (Phillipson 145). Langston Hughes broke from tradition and began using a rhythmic meter similar to jazz and blues music in his poetry. Authors such as Claude McKay encouraged blacks to stand up for their political rights (“The Harlem”). And jazz musicians Louis Armstrong and Joe Oliver popularized a new style of music. One of their unique contributions was the two coronet lead (Slovey 85)). During this same time, prohibition became law. Therefore, speakeasies which served illegal alcohol became popular with both blacks and whites (“Harlem Renaissance”). Many speakeasies were located in Harlem which introduced jazz music and other elements of black culture to white Americans. The most popular club was the Cotton Club which first opened in 1927. It had black performers for whites-only customers as well as an integrated ballroom that had two bands playing at the same time (“Harlem Renaissance”). Many factors joining together created a significant cultural movement that spread beyond the black

This investigation will analyze to what extent did negative racial encounters in the 1950’s caused the white fight to the suburbs.African Americans began moving into Chicago in great numbers following the Great Depression. Tensions arose as they moved into the city, which sparked many whites to move into neighboring suburbs such as the ones highlighted on the map to your right.(Ebony Magazine 18) Following the great population change were negative racial encounters and segregation.This exhibit will inform others of the point of views of both sides of the White Flight in America beginning in the 1950s.

Thousands of white Americans came to Harlem to experience the night life. The nightclubs in New York appealed to the whites as they were very famous. Jazz music was thriving in the area. It originated in the Unites States among African-American musicians. It was at this time that jazz was at its most famous point. Many people would host rent parties which were very popular at the time. Apartment owners would hold a party and would charge a fee to those who wanted to enter. They used this money in order to pay off their rent (Worth). The influence of jazz also brought musical reviews. Soon white novelists, dramatists and composers started to exploit the musical tendencies and themes of African Americans in their works. Composers used the literary works of African-American poets in their songs. Negros began to merge with Whites into the classical world of musical composition (Wikipedia). Soon, the works of artists were being displayed in nationwide magazines. Their culture began to spread with great velocity.

African Americans went from being slaves, to being free but still getting treated like nothing. They got none to little acknowledgment, to being heard on radio stations and loved by so many people. The music that Stax Records made was the soul of Memphis. It was the voice that needed to be heard. Famous artist such as Clara Thomas, Ray Charles, Tina Turner, and many more were the people being looked up to. Their music was so eccentric and relatable that they would be legends forever. Although the Stax closed they still held on to the principles they started with. They got a chance to turn it Stax into a museum, opened up school, and still have opportunities for the local community. Memphis wouldn’t be what it is now with out Stax.

From the 1920’s to the mid 1930’s a literary, intellectual, and artistic movement occurred that kindled the African Americans a new cultural identity. This movement became known as the Harlem Renaissance, which is also known as the “New Negro Movement”. With this movement, African Americans sought out to challenge the “Negro” stereotype that they had received from others while developing innovation and great cultural activity. The Harlem Renaissance became an artistic explosion in the creative arts. Thus, many African Americans turned to writing, art, music, and theatrics to express their selves.