Harlem Renaissance: Artistic Expression Against Discrimination - Essay Sample

Introduction

Harlem Renaissance was the act of improving Harlem locality in New York City and the social, cultural and artistic explosion that resulted (Johnston, 2015). Harlem Renaissance movement rose due to discrimination of Blacks by the Americans. Contributors to this movement were artists such as Langston, Zora, and McKay who expressed their feelings through poems (Maurera, 2016). Louis used music to present the Blacks grievances against discrimination by the Americans though poems were the main form of passing ideas. Harlem Renaissance movement resulted in appreciation and recognition of the Blacks by the Americans. The Renaissance also created a path for future Black artists and musicians to build their talents.

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Yesterday I went through Langston Hughes poem titled, "Mother to Son." The poem is all about a mother advising his son. The son is being advised on how to handle day to day challenges without giving up. The poem was to play a great role in the importance of the Harlem Renaissance movement which was to help discard the discrimination of Blacks by Americans. "Mother to Son" poem was to revive the spirit of not giving up by the Blacks. The mother believes that strength is all that is required in solving any problem. Despite many failures, hope is always the basis of success. Life is still not easy, and we are supposed to persevere when faced with difficulties. Life experiences and comparisons are better on giving out advice as used by the mother when advising the son.

Today I read a poem by McKay titled, "The White House" (McKay, 2015). McKay in the poem tries to express the hardships he goes through trying to be part of a society he is being discriminated. McKay's expressions in the poem portray that he has some positivity and hope that Americans will one time stop hating on Blacks. This is shown by him quoting in the poem, "I am American." Optimism is crucial when faced by problems for one to stop feeling helpless.

Education is the process of getting knowledge, skills, and values. Educational methods include open discussions, telling tales, and doing researches. Education is a long life process though can be affected by many factors such as age, culture, and resources. Learning can occur in institutions, at home or work when being offered with instructions. According to Kelly, 2018, education plays a significant role in building an individual's self-pride.

What influenced my success in high school? Last week I had some reflection on my high school life. My success was based on some factors such as perseverance, hard work, good teachers and adequate learning materials. I had good relationships with my teachers; thus I got advice on the right paths of life to follow to ensure that being successful. The school had adequate learning resources such as books which enhanced the knowledge teachers impacted. I was also optimistic and always tolerated any challenges that I came across during my high school journey. All these factors played core roles in my success.

Which challenges did I come across during my high school and how did I cope up? Today I reflected much on the problems I encountered during my high school period. One significant challenge was being unable to raise the required amount of money for a fee which made to be out of school sometimes. Another problem was the walking distance to and from school more so during rainy seasons. Despite the challenges, I persevered because I needed to accomplish my educational goals.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Harlem Renaissance was the movement adopted by Blacks to try to end the racial discrimination that the Blacks faced against Americans. Blacks such as Langston used poetry to present their grievances to the Americans and to bring hope and positivity amongst themselves. Poems used include "The White House" by McKay and "Mother to Son" by Langston. Education is the process of getting knowledge through methods such as research and holding discussions. My success in high school was influenced by factors such as good teachers, hard work and adequate learning resources. Despite the challenges I encountered during high school, I persevered all.

References

Johnston, J. (2015). An Archive of Virtual Harlem. Retrieved from https://www.scalar.usc.edu/works

Kelly, M. (2018). Many Purposes of Education. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.comMcKay, C. (2015). The White House. Retrieved from https://www.cram.com/