Hoopla in Harlem! The renaissance of African American art and culture: A rhetorical criticism of artists as social activists during the 1920's and 1930's; engaging the philosophical discourse of Kenneth Burke

Harlem glittered as one on the world's most vivid entertainment centers during the 1920's and 30's. Nightlife revolved around The Cotton Club, Smalls Paradise and The Savoy Ballroom; featuring floor shows headlining glamorous African American women and whiskey unavailable in downtown Greenwich Village clubs.;African American Artists during the Harlem Renaissance were Social Activists, making a significant contribution to black culture and aesthetics. Creating the notions of Black Identity, Black Consciousness and Black Pride Sustained these Artists as Activists in the face of adversity and placed "The New Negro" on the global artistic scene.;Dr. Alain Locke wrote the manifesto for "The New Negro" movement and W.E.B. DuBois was the harbinder to lead a cadre of African American Artists to Harlem, their creative promised land. From the world of literature, Jessie Fauset and James Weldon Johnson; From the world of dance and music, Kaherine Dunham and Marian Anderson; From the world of theatre and film, Paul Robeson and Oscar Micheaux. This dissertation examines these Artists as Activists and their works as symbols of social protest, engaging the philosophical discourse of Kenneth Burke.