Wednesday, February 17, 2016

Take a Break: Celebrate the Harlem Renaissance



It’s Black History month, and what better way to celebrate than with the Harlem Renaissance. This was the name given to the incredible burst of cultural, social and artistic activity that happened between the end of WWI and the middle of the 1930s. Harlem was the Mecca for black artists, photographers, musicians, poets, writers and many others.  


• Read The Crisis founded in 1910 by W. E. B. Du Bois, who edited the early volumes. It was originally subtitled "A Record of the Darker Races". 

• Enjoy the art of Jacob Lawrence and Romare Bearden

• Musicians, such as Duke Ellington, Cab Calloway defined the period, along with places like the Cotton Club and the Apollo Theater.  Check out the Ken Burns documentary Jazz for a variety of clips of artists and venues.

• Zora Neil Hurston is one of my favorite writers from this era. If you’ve never read one of her books, you’re in for a treat. Her expressions are spot on-“I have been in Sorrow’s kitchen and licked out all the pots-“. “Love is like the sea. It's a moving thing, but still and all, it takes its shape from the shore it meets, and it's different with every shore.” “Bitterness is the coward's revenge on the world for having been hurt.” 

Not interested in today’s activity? Check out the Take a Break Pinterest for lots of Take a Break ideas. 










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