Harlem Renaissance Timeline: Key Moments in Art, Literature, and Social Change

• 1910 – The Crisis, the NAACP’s official magazine, is launched with W.E.B. Du Bois as editor, becoming a major platform for Black writers and artists. Encyclopedia Britannica

• 1916 – The Great Migration accelerates as African Americans move from the rural South to urban centers like Harlem, fostering a vibrant Black cultural hub. Encyclopedia Britannica

• 1917 – The premiere of Ridgely Torrence’s Plays for a Negro Theater marks a significant moment in African American theater, featuring Black actors in serious roles. Wikipedia

• 1919 – Claude McKay publishes the poem “If We Must Die,” a defiant response to racial violence, which becomes emblematic of the New Negro spirit. Wikipedia

• 1923 – Jean Toomer’s Cane is published, blending poetry and prose to depict African American life, and is considered a foundational work of the Harlem Renaissance. History Timelines

• 1925 – Alain Locke publishes The New Negro, an anthology that defines the intellectual and artistic goals of the Harlem Renaissance. Artland Magazine+1Financial Times+1

• 1926 – Langston Hughes releases The Weary Blues, his first poetry collection, capturing the rhythms of jazz and the experiences of Black Americans.

• 1930 – Aaron Douglas begins work on his mural series Aspects of Negro Life, visually narrating African American history and aspirations. Artland Magazine

• 1935 – The Harlem Race Riot erupts, signaling social tensions and marking a downturn in the Harlem Renaissance's momentum. HISTORY