The New Harlem Renaissance
“...For the younger generation is vibrant with a new psychology; the new spirit is awake in the masses....”
~Alain Locke on the “New Negro” (1925).
As far back as I can remember, I’ve always had an “old soul”. I have fond memories of occasionally engaging in a playful game of hopscotch or challenging my equilibrium with a round of double dutch. However, my most treasured moments were spent at the feet of my elders.
Gazing at my great grandmother’s shoulder-length silver strands that formed the most luxurious braids I had ever seen.
Standing at my grandmother’s bathroom sink where Noxzema was the skin elixir of choice, and Jean Naté was the most coveted after-bath splash on the market.
Fawning over my mother’s slender fingers accentuated with gorgeous fuchsia polish and earthy toned jewels adorning each digit.
Yet, among all three of them, I could easily see the commonly woven thread that has cycled throughout the world for centuries: There’s nothing new under the sun.
My mother was perhaps the most vivid imitator of that adage. She introduced a special addendum, citing that each generation added to the tapestry of its forebearers. This created a uniquely brilliant texture that cemented the progeny in its own place in history.
In my humble opinion, some of the most profound thinkers and innovators of this world existed during the Harlem Renaissance. It was the regal predecessor of “Black girl magic”, “Black Power”, and the “Me Too Movement”. It was genius in motion. Yet, I want to bring to bear the awareness that the dilemmas of that time were not so different from our current situation. Amidst all the brilliance on full display, there was an undercurrent of unrest shrouded in a constant fight for liberation. The Annenberg Learner published an article entitled, “Place, Culture, and Representation: The Art and Politics of the Harlem Renaissance”. The author proficiently guided us through the ebbs and flows of Black America’s early 20th century awakening.
“There was a palpable disparity between the promise of U.S. democracy and its reality. They were angered by the racial prejudice and violence they often encountered. A larger, better-educated urban population fully comprehended the limitations that white-dominated society had placed on them. As African Americans became increasingly disillusioned about achieving the justice that wartime rhetoric had seemed to promise, many determined to pursue their goals of equality and success more aggressively than ever before. This post-war era also gave rise to several organized political and economic movements that helped fuel the Harlem Renaissance.”
While the oppression of the Jim Crow South sparked the Great Migration, many families became disenchanted with the notion of a brighter future in the North. It seemed like they were merely exchanging pronounced bias for subtle nuances woven into housing and employment discrimination.
Again, there’s nothing new under the sun.
But there is a remnant – a league of extraordinary minds with a penchant for unveiling new ways of addressing ancient, broken systems.
And who is more suitable to take on such a daunting task than the largest demographic in the world?
Women.
There are practical ways to interject the influence of the Harlem Renaissance in our current cultural climate. Here’s how to produce durable activism in a world that often prefers our aesthetics over amplification:
Moving from reactionary to participatory action
During the Harlem Renaissance, Ella Baker’s outspokenness against patriarchy and hierarchical structures was met with criticism from those who feared a tentative loss of power dynamics. Her solution was simple and effective: shift from the mindset of reacting when a crisis arises to a more sustainable end goal of acquiring power and galvanizing others to organize around triumph instead of tragedy. We stan, Ms. Baker. We stan.
Safeguard your peace of mind
The relentless rotation of Black trauma throughout the media is having an adverse impact on our psyche. Some activists choose to galvanize efforts around public exposure of our pain because they believe that audio-visual proof legitimizes our experiences. However, it wasn’t until the world was exposed to the terror of Tyre Nichols’s death that I first heard the term “linked fate PTSD”.
I invite you to explore the dynamics of that phenomenon with me. The powerhouse media conglomerate, CNN, turned to the expertise of Dr. Riana Elyse Anderson, an assistant professor in the Department of Health Behavior and Health Education at the University of Michigan’s School of Public Health.
“We have agency over what we ingest. These videos never help us to understand why this would happen.” She went on to talk about humanity’s innate compulsion to witness violence, and how our craving to observe ultimately leaves us without reasonable explanations.
The article delved deeper into the long-lasting implications of viewers’ behaviors. “Research shows that frequent exposure to violent news events can cause negative stress reactions. Even witnessing vicarious violence can raise a person’s sense of anxiety and fear, and in some cases, lead to post-traumatic stress disorder.”
All of us know a Trayvon Martin.
A Sandra Bland.
A Botham Jean.
A Sonya Massey.
My hope is that we learn the power of observing disparities without absorbing their impact to our own detriment.
As women, we cradle the power of discernment in our bosoms. We saw it during the Harlem Renaissance and the Civil Rights Movement. We see it in the casual head nods and smiles as we greet each other in passing. By nature, we create lineages and empires that still resonate within the world long after our departure. It’s incumbent upon us to lead by fully embracing and embodying the great power of our past.
Your imprint in this world may become the syllabus of a future changemaker.
Sound the clarion call.
Someone is waiting for you.
Imani Brooks-Wheeler is a C-Suite strategist, Speaker, and Spiritual Care Advisor & Mediator for High-Net-Worth individuals. Explore more about her powerful journey at www.ImaniBrooksWheeler.com.