The Roaring '20s are characterized by cultural advancement and flashy lifestyle; however, the dark spots of this time period are often overlooked. Dictionary.com defines cultural appropriation as “the act of adopting elements of an external, often minority, culture without understanding or respecting the original culture and context.” The problem with cultural appropriation is that the offending individual benefits from desirable aspects within a minority culture without having to experience the hardships that people of that culture must endure. The Harlem Renaissance was sparked by the Great Migration, which was the movement of thousands of African Americans from the Jim Crow South to the North, more specifically to Harlem, New York. Its significance in history is linked to the “New Negro,” which was a metaphor for the abandonment of old black ideologies and the transition to independence and self-expression through the arts. The whites of the Harlem Renaissance very openly accepted the culture of the “New Negro,” but they did not as strongly support those same black individuals who made literary, musical, and artistic contributions to society. Although blacks fled the extremely racist South, life in the North was not as promising as it was portrayed. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The sudden change in race relations in the Roaring '20s is not as dramatic as historians point out. Whites still had a paternalistic view of blacks and often marginalized them all while indulging in African American culture. In a time when blacks were making social discoveries, whites made sure to remain lower in the social ranks. Every part of the New Negro culture was accepted except the New Negro himself. Harlem Renaissance whites appropriated the black culture emerging during this time period. The blacks of the Harlem Renaissance made contributions to literature, music, art, and even theatrical performance, and great things at that. Before the Great Migration, African Americans were not recognized for their creative or artistic abilities. However, after the migration these black writers, artists, and musicians were renowned for their contributions not only to Harlem, but throughout the world. The recognition of creative abilities was not a testament to much else other than whites' prior ignorance of blacks' abilities other than the physical. Blacks were classified based on their physical traits; their height, their strength and, however sickly, also their genetics, as if they were genetically modified cattle. White people of this time period, intentionally or not, were mentally trained to look at a black person at face value. Black people were considered a body, not a mind and a soul with extraordinary abilities, which is why it took so long for African Americans to be recognized for their contributions to society. Nothing changed in black culture as a result of the Harlem Renaissance. ; the music was still jazz, the authors produced the same contents and the artists remained faithful to their beginnings. Jazz and blues were composed by African Americans in the 1800s. William Henry Johnson was one of the most important artists of the Harlem Renaissance; in his art there were depictions of landscapes and everyday life, a style that can be dated as far back as the 12th century. Langston Hughes produced over 30 literary works, but among his most famous is "The Negro Speaks of Rivers", published in 1921, the years of the beginning of theRenaissance. The most significant factor in the recognition of blacks' abilities was that their talent was now being showcased, and there was no denying how talented they truly were. The sudden popularity of black works supports the assertion that such appreciation was simply a fad. The white community did not respect the culture, rather they realized the popularity and took advantage of it. It could be argued that blacks were now receiving widespread recognition and that must be an achievement in itself. One might also recognize that blacks seized the opportunistic social and economic freedom of Harlem. However, if these same people were of white ancestry, these would not have been found; it would simply be par for the course for a talented entertainer. “For the first time ever African Americans…were renowned for their contributions…”. It should be noted that blacks were no longer being credited, they were being credited for the first time ever. Whether or not one receives recognition for one's greatness should never depend on race; it should be a discussion about that person's talent. It is downright disrespectful to act as if giving credit where it is due is a privilege simply because the talented individual is a minority. Recognition of black excellence must not be treated as if it were a handout or a favor, and in this idea is exposed the paternalistic perspective that plagued the Harlem Renaissance. As deeply as whites valued black culture, what was even deeper was their discontent with blacks. At the beginning of the Great Migration, Harlem's white community did everything they could to prevent blacks from moving into their neighborhoods. They tried, ultimately failed, and since they couldn't stop African Americans from moving there, they just left. It is quite ironic that after the arrival of blacks, their artistic abilities were appreciated in large numbers by the community. However, what is even more ironic is that the same people who had previously created a trail of fear have ultimately become the main source of entertainment and joy within a community that sought to discourage them. The predominantly white community of Harlem and the surrounding area indulged heavily in jazz music. Jazz was the focal point of black culture. It's a kind of spontaneity and adaptation. One that is all about having moments to shine, while remaining the same to create a finished and exceptionally great product. He was the epitome of what it meant to be black; a symbolic sense of identity. However, whites did not take this into account and made jazz performed by blacks a form of capital. The first example of black exploitation was the Cotton Club. As if the name wasn't derogatory enough, in this club blacks performed exclusively for a white audience. Dorsey also described it as “a form of entertainment for white people.” He also says, “White citizens would flock to Harlem to experience the primitive without having to go to Africa.” The club's servers were also black. The only positions held by blacks were those of service, underlining the superiority of whites. Blacks fled Southern slavery only to come North and become serfs. Whites exploited black culture and used it as capital even though they understood little or nothing about it. The opposition might argue that whites did not fully capitalize on blacks, but also financed them. Citable information includes the works of white patrons who were catalysts for black financial success, such as W. E. B. Du Bois. Although some actually helped finance the success of blacks, the majority of.