In the early 1900s, African-American literature, art, music, dance and social commentary began to flourish in New York City's Harlem neighborhood. This African-American cultural movement, known as the Harlem Renaissance, applauded the unique culture of African-Americans and encouraged them to celebrate their heritage.

A major factor leading to the rise of the Harlem Renaissance was the migration of African-Americans to northern cities. Between 1919 and 1926, large numbers left their rural southern homes to move to urban centers such as New York City, Chicago and Washington, D.C.

Prominent figures to emerge from this era were writers Zora Neale Hurston and Langston Hughes, musicians Duke Ellington and Bessie Smith and scholar W.E.B. Du Bois.