Topic Discussion with Proposed Thesis Statement

Amanda Gordon

U.S History ll Honors

Ms.Diaz

Topic Discussion with Proposed Thesis Statement

For my research paper my thesis will be, "Instead of wallowing in self-pity, the recently dispossessed ignited an explosion of cultural pride. Indeed, African American culture was reborn in the Harlem Renaissance." This statement supports my goal in explaining how art of the Harlem Renaissance played a role defining and celebrating in African American culture. Focusing on the very talented artist such as Langston Hughes, Claude Mckay, Billie Holiday and their artwork will lead into how the artist live up to the role of leadership of the black movement. In my paper, I will be explaining the similarities in imagery, tone, and style each artist portrayed, and finally I will look at African American women's literary works during the Harlem Renaissance. I will be using primary and secondary sources to help me throughout my writing. The sources includes information on the best artist and their contributions and an explanation on how their contributions created the Harlem Renaissance.

My first primary source contains a primary source which is the poem, "A Dream Deferred" by Langston Hughes. In this poem, the great Harlem Renaissance era poet, Langston Hughes, says "Does it stink like rotten meat?" He is referring to dreams and what happens to them. He ask if it stinks like rotten meat. The meat being the dream of an African Americanan lying around until it stinks like meat. Langston Hughes uses many similes,analogies,metaphors,and personifications in his poems which engages the reader to actually think of the all the African American's dreams being deferred. This is why I chose Langston Hughes and his poems as a primary source, his writing speaks to many.

My second primary source talks about almost everything during the Harlem Renaissance however, its main points are on the artist, art, music and writers which will help me with the imagery,tone, and style I am trying to portray. Also, it will help portray how art has fulfilled the black movement. This source explains that "The Renaissance was many things to many people, but it is best described as a cultural phenomenon in which the high level of black artistic and cultural production demanded and received mainstream recognition, where racial solidarity was equated with social progress, and where the idea of blackness became a commodity in its own right" Meaning that the artwork that African Americans produced made them equal and gave them a voice.This source states facts from Langston Hughes and how he adopted to Harlem and found a place to call home, the Great Migration which not only consisted of African Americans but the island people too, how black artisans put their emotions in brilliant poems such as "If we Must Die" by Claude Mckay or the talented Zora Neale Hurston and his novel " The Eyes Were Watching God", the soulful music that came out of Billie Holiday, Louis Armstrong and many others. Not only does this