We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. The Harlem Renaissance established the New York City neighborhood as a venue for creativity and expression, especially for Black artists who thrived during this celebrated movement. Spanning the late 1910s through mid-1930s, the period redefined African American culture and expression through art, music, and literature. From photographs documenting everyday life to musical compositions about the Black experience in America, artists like James Van Der Zee and Duke Ellington created works that continue to educate and inspire today. Here are some of the biggest Harlem Renaissance artists and the impactful legacies they left behind. Jessie Fauset graduated from Cornell University in 1905 and began working as a teacher. During this time, her essays, poems, and short stories drew the attention of W.E.B. Du Bois, who hired her as the literary editor of the NAACP’s official magazine The Crisis in 1919.…