The 1930s and 1940s became a period of religious, cultural and artistic transformations in the African American community. On the one hand, several new religious movements emerged, which stemmed from the socio-economic hardships that African Americans were especially susceptible to. On the other hand, the African American art and culture also suffered changes, which were influenced by the desire to seek racial justice. The new religious movements provided African Americans with a sense of purpose and spiritual guidance, while the new artistic trends led to the advancement African American culture and identity.
One of the most important new religious movements of the 1930s and 1940s was the Nation of Islam, created by Wallace Fard Muhammad in 1930. Most African Americans were Christians, so the foundation of this movement opened another side of religion to many members of the community. The goal was to create a unique interpretation of Islam and reinforce racial pride and self-reliance (Hine & Harrold, 2017). The appeal was to those who were looking for a more radical form of religion and those who wanted to address the spiritual and material needs of African Americans.
The Black Baptist Church was another prominent religious movement in the 1930s and 1940s. It was founded in the early 20th century and gave African Americans a sense of belonging (Croft, 2020). The Black Baptist Church had a special significance in the South, as the church was one of the few places where faith could be practiced openly, without racial discrimination and oppression that ruled in the Southern part of the country.
The religious movements of the African American community in the 1930s and 1940s say much about the nature of religion and how important it was for African Americans. These movements gave African Americans a sense of purpose and spiritual guidance in the conditions of prevalent oppression and institutionalized racism. They also provided African Americans with a safe space to express their faith.
When it comes to new artistic developments, The Chicago Renaissance was a period of artistic and literary shifts that took place in Chicago in the 1930s and 1940s. The movement focused on racial and social justice and on developing the culture and identity of African Americans (Courage & Reed, 2020). The Chicago Renaissance followed the literary production of the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s, but it was more politicized than the latter.
Some of the Chicago Renaissance examples are the works of Charles White. His painting, “Toussaint L’Ouverture at San Domingo,” depicted Toussaint who led the Haitian Revolution in 1804 (Courage & Reed, 2020). This work, along with the other ones, portrayed the struggles of African Americans and celebrated their historical achievements. A literary example is the novel “Native Son” by Richard Wright. Native Son is a story of an African American man named Bigger Thomas, who is struggling to survive in the oppressive environment of 1930s. And lastly, music was also influenced by the movement. Such styles as jazz, urban blues and new gospel music appeared largely due to the influence of Chicago Renaissance. One of the musical examples is the works of Thomas Dorsey, who wrote mostly religious music.
In conclusion, the new religious movements demonstrate that religion was a crucial part of African American life, as it provided a way for people to cope with their struggles through faith. The art of the Chicago Renaissance, meanwhile, advanced the culture and gave a new sense of identity to African Americans. Both religion and art became catalysts for the following fight for the freedom from racial injustice.
References
Courage, R. A., Reed, C. R. (2020). Roots of the Black Chicago Renaissance: New negro writers, artists and intellectuals, 1893-1930. University of Illinois Press.
Croft, W. E. (2020). A history of the Black Baptist Church: I don’t feel no ways tired. Baptist History and Heritage Society, 55(3).
Hine, D. C., Hine, W. C., Harrold, S. C. (2017). African-American Odyssey, the combined volume. Pearson Education.