Harlem Renaissance Background

Which answer choice BEST explains the author's purpose in this article?

• The Harlem Renaissance had a great affect on American culture of the 1920s and the future

• Many African-Americans had shared experiences prior to The Great Migration

• Writers, actors, artists and musicians glorified African-American traditions

• During the 1920s, Americans celebrated the diverse cultures of our country

What is the author's MAIN purpose in including information about how northerners reacted to the influx of African-Americans during The Great Migration?

• The author wanted the reader to have background information about The Harlem Renaissance

• The author wanted to show the reader why African-Americans wanted to have better lives

• The author wanted to ensure the reader understood the mindset of African-Americans going into The Harlem Renaissance

• The author wanted the reader to understand the viewpoints of the African-Americans who moved to the north

What is the purpose of including the following selection in the article (paragraph 18)?



But Harlem brought together some of the greatest minds of the day. The artists of the Harlem Renaissance transformed African-American culture. But the effects on all of America was equally strong. For the first time, white America could not look away.

• To wrap up all of the ideas presented in the article

• To show the reader how African Americans changed the landscape of America

• To show that The Harlem Renaissance had a great effect on the developing culture of America

• To explain how The Harlem Renaissance occurred and the effect it had on the people involved

Which paragraph from the section "Writers capture the spirit of the times" in the article “The Harlem Renaissance” suggests that writers during the 1920s influenced change in society?

• “In the Harlem scene, writers, actors, artists and musicians glorified African-American traditions. At the same time, they created new cultural forms.”

• “One of the most famous writers of the Harlem Renaissance was Langston Hughes. Hughes cast off the influences of white poets. Instead, he wrote in a style of blues and jazz.”

• “Other writers were important in the scene. Claude Mckay and Jean Toomer wrote plays, short stories and poems to capture the spirit of the times. Book publishers soon took notice and patronized many of these talents.”

• “Zora Neale Hurston was noticed quickly with her book "Their Eyes Were Watching God." Hurston used the music and stories that she collected as an anthropologist to write her stories, plays and books.”

Why did the author include the following section in the article, “The Harlem Renaissance” (paragraph 5)?

Many [African-Americans] discovered they had shared common experiences in their past histories and their uncertain lives of the present. Instead of wallowing in self-pity, they ignited an explosion of cultural pride. This time period when African-American culture was reborn in New York City in the 1920s is known as the Harlem Renaissance.

• The author is showing the similar mindset of many African-Americans of the time

• The author is showing that many African-Americans were in agreement with each other

• The author is explaining how the American people became involved in The Harlem Renaissance

• The author is explaining how the experiences of African-Americans developed The Harlem Renaissance