The Harlem Renaissance was a vibrant period of intellectual, social, and artistic explosion that took place in Harlem, New York, during the 1920s. Often called the 'New Negro Movement,' it celebrated African American culture and identity while challenging racial stereotypes and systemic racism. It brought to prominence literary figures like Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston, and artists like Aaron Douglas and Jacob Lawrence. Hughes, in particular, was a pioneer of 'jazz poetry,' which used the rhythms and improvisational feel of jazz music in literature. The movement wasn't limited to the arts; it was also a political and social movement that laid the groundwork for the later Civil Rights Movement. It proved that African American culture was a central and essential part of the American experience, forever changing the landscape of American literature and music.