Elements of each period

Harlem Renaissance Period

The most important elements within the Harlem Renaissance Period was the literature and the music. It was the literature that told the world what occurred within the black society, and their fight for social freedom and racial identity, but it was the music that helped people "feel" what they were facing every day.

The literature consisted of true stories, made-up stories, and even stereotypical stories. Many writers included Langston Hughes, James Weldon Johnson, Countee Cullen, Zora Neale Hurston, and Claude McKay. The music was usually jazz and blues, originated down in New Orleans. Some of the most famous musicians include Louis Armstrong, Thomas 'Fats' Waller, Duke Ellington, and Bessie Smith.

Civil Rights Movement Period

The most important element within the Civil Rights Period was the pictures that showed how the minorities were being treated. The photographs are considered works of art. They captured what writing and music could not. Nothing can replace a more realistic form of art than a photograph. The most prominent photographer at the time was Charles H. Alston.