Swing North Sweet Chariot Or From The Cotton Fields To The Cotton Club

An Integrated, Interdisciplinary, Thematic High School Unit on the Harlem Renaissance The Harlem Renaissance was not just a random occurrence. More accurately, it was kismet. The rebirth of interest in painting, drawing, sculpting, composing, performing, and writing was destined to happen. The social and economic changes that occurred in the African-American community following the Civil War yielded a community that was home to the most creative thinking of the early twentieth century. In addition, the creative energy in Harlem from the beginning of the century to the early 1940's laid the foundation for the Civil Rights movement of the 50's and 60's. This development of this crucial era in African-American history is the focal point of our unit.