Harlem Renaissance, Graffiti, and MLB's Magic Mud

The Harlem Renaissance, 101

The Harlem Renaissance was an early 20th-century arts movement that took place in the Harlem neighborhood of New York's Manhattan borough, a major destination during the Great Migration of Black people from the American South. Most scholars say that it began in earnest in the mid-1920s and ended with the Great Depression, when high unemployment in Harlem forced many venues to close.
 

The movement was a groundswell of expression through literature, music, dance, theater, visual art, political activism, and other modes by Black artists that reclaimed Black identity and heritage. Foundational texts by Alain Locke and Langston Hughes in 1925 and 1926, respectively, argued that Black people needed to define their own culture rather than passively accepting the portrayal of Black culture by mainstream media and art. (Read Locke's movement-defining anthology.)
 

Harlem Renaissance artists like Cab Calloway, Aaron Douglas, Duke Ellington, Claude McKay, Augusta Savage, Jean Toomer, and Zora Neale Hurston produced innovative works that influenced American culture for generations. (See a guide to the movement's major figures.)

... Explore everything else we learned about the Harlem Renaissance.

Also, check out ... 

> Explore a map of the Harlem Renaissance's nightclubs. (View)

> Aaron Douglas' art defined the movement's visual aesthetic. (Read)

> The 1934 short film "Cab Calloway's Hi-De-Ho" captured the jazz musician at the top of his game. (Watch)

> Browse a collection of Harlem Renaissance poetry. (Read)

Graffiti for beginners

Graffiti is a letter-based art form often scrawled illicitly on public or private property. It can be traced back to at least ancient Rome, where citizens expressed ideas, taunted rivals, and made crude jokes on walls. (See some of the best ancient graffiti.)
 

Modern graffiti emerged in the 1960s in Philadelphia, where Darryl McCray claimed he pioneered the art of "tagging," or scrawling his signature on walls. The trend soon spread to New York—where budding artists, sometimes called "graffiti writers," tagged whatever they could find in an attempt to spread their pen names across the city—and evolved alongside the nascent hip-hop and punk subcultures of the 1970s and early 1980s. (See a collection of classic photos from the era.)
 

Even as it was being hailed as a revolutionary form of expression, graffiti was also being criticized by city officials and residents as vandalism indicative of larger social decline. That hasn't stopped it from being widely praised, however, with graffiti-inspired artists like Jean-Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring, and Banksy becoming some of the art world's most renowned figures.

... Explore everything else we learned about graffiti.

Also, check out ... 

> New York Mayor Ed Koch railed against graffiti in the 1970s and '80s. (Watch)

> "Street art" has become a major seller in the art world, but often exists in a legal gray area outside of it. (Read)

> "Kilroy was here" was a popular tag during World War II. (Read)

> One graffiti artist turned a train tunnel into his gallery. (Watch)

A brief (and delicious) history of pizza

Pizza is a baked flatbread usually topped with tomato sauce, cheese, and other ingredients. It's believed to have been invented in Naples, a city in the Campania region of Italy, and was originally a dish for the city's working poor, who appreciated the inexpensive yet filling meal. (See a list of the world's best pizzerias.)
 

The food was brought to the United States by Italian immigrants in the early 20th century and became popular during the 1940s, especially following World War II. Scholars have noted that this Americanized pizza built the template for the larger pies with varied toppings that we know today. Ironically, it also made the dish more popular in Italy, in a cultural reverberation anthropologists call "the pizza effect."
 

Today, pizza remains a popular dish in the US, with the average American eating an estimated 46 slices per year and sales reaching an estimated $43.3B in 2023. It's also become a global mainstay, with acclaimed pizzerias in nearly every corner of the world.

... Explore everything else we learned about pizza.

Also, check out ... 

> Domino's Pizza's 30-minute guarantee was discontinued after a string of delivery-driver accidents. (Read)

> Legend has it that the Margherita pie was named after an encounter with the Queen of Italy, but historians doubt the story. (Read)

> Check out a map of America's regional pizza styles. (View)

> The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles originally loved beer, not pizza. (Read)

Cultural Context

Beyond our weekly deep dives, we love finding great takes on the culture currently shaping our lives. Here are some of the best reactions, profiles, and think pieces we encountered this week.

> 'Infinite Jest' at 30

The Guardian | Michelle Zauner. David Foster Wallace's epic novel celebrated a major anniversary this month, and Zauner, the author of the memoir "Crying in H Mart" and the brains behind indie-rock band Japanese Breakfast, offers a tender ode that disassembles the stereotypes the book has accumulated over the decades. (Read)

> 'The Simpsons' Creators Look Back—and Ahead

The Associated Press | Liam McEwan. The beloved family from Springfield reached a milestone this month, surpassing 800 episodes. The creators and stars reflect on the series, from its controversial early days to its present-day status as an elder statesman of comedy. (Read)

> The Retro Innovation of 'The Pitt'

The Town | Matthew Belloni. "The Pitt" is an HBO Max drama that's found both critical and commercial success by following a model that's largely grown unfashionable in the streaming era. Wells, the show's executive producer, argues modern audiences are eager for broad but well-written "watercooler" shows. (Listen)

> A Cult Figure Resurfaces

NY Times | Aruna D'Souza. The multidisciplinary artist Theresa Hak Kyung Cha was murdered in 1982, at age 31, cutting short a beguiling, impactful career. D'Souza speaks with other artists who have been influenced by Cha's writing, performances, and films, and unpacks why her work continues to resonate. (Read)

> Not Another Rock 'N' Roll Poet

Poetry Foundation | Andrew Marzoni. Richard Hell is punk royalty, known for his work with Television, the Heartbreakers, and the Voidoids. He's also a well-traveled poet, novelist, critic, and memoirist, as this detailed profile from Marzoni shows. (Read)

Best of the Week

We curate hundreds of resources into 1440 Topics each week. Here are some of our favorites from the world of society and culture.

> Chef Boyardee was a key supplier for American troops during World War II.

> In the mid-1980s, a special-interest group lobbied to censor music they believed was obscene. Musician Frank Zappa became one of its most outspoken critics.

> Research suggests that poetic elements make statements appear more truthful.

> Before the fast food chain restaurant, there was the automat.

> The first legitimate online transaction was the purchase of a Sting CD.

> As the Academy Awards approach, we're looking back at its youngest winners.

> If you're looking for the most refined sushi experience, you need omakase.

> Danish cookies became a treasured Lunar New Year gift thanks to a unique tin container.

> One family business revolves around selling mud to Major League Baseball.

> A year before Elvis appeared on "Ed Sullivan," Bill Haley brought rock 'n' roll to the program

Join 4.7+ million insatiably curious news readers:

1440 Daily Digest (Monday-Saturday)

The "1440 Explores" podcast: 

Apple, Spotify, YouTube

Weekly 1440 Topics newsletters: 

Science & Technology (Tuesday)

Health & Medicine (Wednesday)

Business & Finance (Thursday)

Society & Culture (Saturday)