Human beings have a tendency to lean towards positivity rather than negativity; this is a feature used by humans. The human bias for positivity influences several types of topics, including how literary critics and historians describe the Harlem Renaissance. The Harlem Renaissance, in The Norton Introduction to Literature by Professors Mays and Booth, is described as “a duration of ten or fifteen years in the early twentieth century, when an exceptional group of individuals celebrated the emergence of a new Afro-consciousness -American". The Harlem Renaissance is delineated through the use of different formulations and terms in various reliable sources; however, a great similarity appears when analyzing these descriptions. The correspondence is that they only show the positive implications of the movement. These descriptions fail to highlight the desperation and struggles that working-class and poor residents of other African American communities and Harlem encountered in the cultural movement. Harlem, while catering to some wealthy African Americans, was “simultaneously home to poverty and disease-plagued slums.” There is no more accurate depiction of the dire financial problems of African Americans during that period than the poems written by Harlem Renaissance writers, such as Countee Cullen and Langston Hughes. The economic flow prevalent during and before the Harlem Renaissance can be seen through the literary operations of African American writers. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay With many African Americans moving to the North after World War I, the artistic and cultural impact of black communities became inevitable. This was especially true in Harlem, where more than 100,000 African Americans chose to stay after the shift and was “an infectious, independent, creative, and distinctive center of entertainment, art, and activity, drawing all of New York to itself.” The two authors define Harlem in a whimsical and positive way, declaring that it was “an attraction for the new whites”. Although their statements regarding the presence of entertainment facilities such as nightclubs are correct, the writers fail to trace the problem of crime and poverty, which became dominant in Harlem. For example, according to a noted historian from Harvard University, “futility, unemployment, and poverty existed in Harlem; however, the optimism and happiness of the 1920s improved the image of this type of reality.' Scholars, as well as historians, focus primarily on the critical elements of the Harlem Renaissance. This means that there is undoubtedly a bias towards the elite and the most successful and well-known writers such as Hughes and Langston. It is reasonable to focus on a smaller number of individuals who had significant responsibilities in the movement; however, it is crucial to pay attention to Harlem Renaissance residents. Overemphasizing the lifestyle of Harlem's occupiers because of the glamorous and prosperous lives of a few people shows an inaccurate picture of what Harlem was like at the time of the movement. The lives of Harlem's regular residents varied from the expensive lifestyles shown in books and other legendary sources. Due to the presence of discrimination and prejudice, African Americans were able to obtain only the most strenuous and low-paid jobs. According to Professor Jeffrey Ogbar, of the University of Kansas, 16.6% of Harlem's squatters received only $75 a month, 25%, below the considered lower income rate. Additionally, many Harlem residents earned between $75 and $124, which was less than the minimum of $133..
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