The Harlem Renaissance was a period of great cultural, artistic, and social interdisciplinary growth among African American artists in New York City. This period began at the end of World War I and lasted through the mid-1930s. The aftermath of the Civil War and Reconstruction led to the “Great Migration,” a period when many African Americans fled the South to find better jobs, build families, and ensure their freedom. Harlem was a destination for many, and with the influx of residents came a new cultural scene. Artists, writers, thinkers, and musicians focused on the task of accurately representing Black life and culture as well as celebrating Black creativity and identity. Many Harlem Renaissance figures are referenced in Bronx Masquerade, including Langston Hughes (poet), Countee Cullen (poet), Zora Neale Hurston (writer), Archibald Motley Jr. (painter), and James Van Der Zee (photographer). The students in Mr. Ward’s class connect with the works, the themes, and the lives of these artists and wrestle with similar issues like racial identity, discrimination, and colorism.

As the epicenter of the literary movement, Harlem itself featured strongly in Harlem Renaissance literature. Its nightlife, music, and dancing are represented in poems like Claude McKay’s “Harlem Dancer” and novels like The Conjure Man Dies.