The Harlem Renaissance & The Civil Rights Movement: Richie Havens

Richie Havens is a folk/rock musician that was prominent during the 1960's-1970's. He rose to fame in the Greenwich Village music scene when it was a center of the counter-culture, with such artists as Joan Boaz and, of course, Bob Dylan. His unique style of guitar playing set him apart from other folk guitar players. He was not directly involved a whole lot with the political side of the Civil Rights Movement, but he wrote anti-racism songs and such. One of these is called "The Klan."

Richie Havens is most famous for being the opening act at the 1969 Woodstock Festival where he along with other legendary artists like Ravi Shankar, Santana, Janis Joplin, Grateful Dead, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Who, Jefferson Airplane, Crosby Stills Nash and Young, Jimi Hendrix, and a crowd of 200,000 demonstrated the power of music to promote peace and tolerance. Here is a video of him playing a cover of John Lennon's "Strawberry Fields Forever" at the festival:

What was the Harlem Renaissance?

1919-1930. The Roaring Twenties helped bridge the area between mere survival and culture, beauty, and creativity in the United States. The Harlem Renaissance was a cultural revolution. Black artists, poets, philosophers, musicians, and authors created their own ways to express themselves without the influence of the white population. It meant freedom of expression, creating their own identity, and making their own place in history. Musicians during the Harlem Renaissance created the first specifically American genre--jazz. Extraordinary revolutionaries were demanding racial equality in the political world through their stories, characters, and talents.

What was the Civil Rights Movement?

1955-1968. During the Civil Rights Movement, black Americans demanded their freedom from racial discrimination and segregation. Not only were decisions like Plessy vs. Ferguson challenged in court, but there were also tons of active protests from ordinary citizens who participated in boycotts and sit-ins. Direct action and honesty were the important elements in the art representing the movement, and the artists of the time were essential in bringing the issues to the forefront of American culture.

Harlem Renaissance/Civil Rights Movement

Both the Harlem Renaissance and the Civil Rights Movement had the same purpose--equal rights for black Americans, but the approaches were much different. The Harlem Renaissance took an indirect approach to reaching the ultimate goal. The writers, artists, and musicians created their own means of expression and proved themselves as artists and writers of fiction. The Civil Rights Movement sought direct and immediate action. The writers wrote about the reality of society's racial issues. The photographers documented the reality of the movement, no matter how harsh the truth was. The musicians came right out and said what the problem was and how it could be fixed. While the Harlem Renaissance changed perception, the Civil Rights Movement changed legislation.

Richie Havens

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