Each participant in the Renaissance in Harlem
resembles an atom, restructuring reality and the laws governing the physics of
creativity, being that, voice inflections, choreography, brush strokes,
composition, stage directions, and the written word are inextricably linked not
only to the chorus of expression, but also to individual imagination.
This dialectical relationship is a rhetorical
rendering that struggles to emancipate art from the shackles of caricature. Writers
such as Langston Hughes comment on the struggle that confront creatives as he
posits that:
The (Negro)
artist works against an undertow of sharp criticism and misunderstanding from
his own group and unintentional bribes (from the whites). "Oh, be respectable, write about nice
people, show how good we are," (say the Negroes). "Be stereotyped, don't go too far, don't
shatter our illusions about you, don't amuse us too seriously. We will pay
you," (say
the whites).
Issues of identity are fraught with conflict. Artists
struggle to produce work that is definitive of their talent in an environment
that is resistant to autonomy. Independence and cultural differences are
celebrated yet the causes of exclusion are not interrogated. This occurs even
within groups championing multiculturalism. George Elliot Clarke observes that
this may occur “Because they were interested in identifying with
a kind of ethnic--celebrating ethnic difference, but not examining
the question of racism. Not at all. That was too disruptive too, it would get
into questions of class, privilege, etc. etc. and the people we were
associating with who were part of that movement back then did not want any part
of that. What they wanted us to do was come and sing our spirituals, but don't
talk about racism, don't talk about employment equity and don't talk about
anything that is going to upset other people who are part of this
"coalition."
Choreography transforms unpredictable motions into
precise movement that create order out of chaos. It celebrates continuity and
harmonizes the struggles and triumphs that accompany our lives. Pearl Primus,
an influential creative during the Renaissance in Harlem captures the fluidity
of movement within African traditions. She recognizes that these rhythmic
undulations ripple into other communities. In doing so, she eclipses the
restrictions of her aesthetic and transforms dance into a weapon wielded
against exclusion. In her words:
... Dance is ... the scream which eases
for a while the terrible frustration of all human beings who because of race,
creed, or colour are “invisible’. Dance is the fist with which I fight the
sickening ignorance of prejudice.
The tide of exclusion continues to recede yet Misty Copeland, the first
and only African American female soloist for the American Ballet Theatre notes
that restrictions to access still linger. Although indebted to figures like
Peal, she acknowledges that exclusion is a result of:
... racism and not wanting to
change this very traditional art form that has been successful in the way it is
for so long.
The Renaissance in Harlem reminds us that creativity eclipses the
confines of time and space. It leaps above exclusion and defies convention. As
conscientious curators, we hold the gifts that this period bestowed on us so
that future generations will be inspired to contribute their unique voices to
the ongoing narrative of creative expression.
Contact Njoroge Mungai njoroge.mungai@gmail.com.
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