The Harlem Renaissance was perhaps one of the most important periods in American literary history. However, such issues as the relationship between the Harlem Renaissance and mainstream American culture, especially the relationship between African-American literature and white American culture and how white people have influenced the Harlem Renaissance have not been explored into. Nevertheless, white critics, patrons and publishers in the era of the Harlem Renaissance were critical for the growth of African-American literature, and its new role in the whole American culture. Whites had an important role in supporting the Harlem Renaissance through financial support, how white intellectuals view and talk about African-American literatures and connection with white publishers.
The Harlem Renaissance centered in the Harlem neighborhood of New York City, and the movement had significant impacts throughout the United States. Across the culture spectrum (literature, drama, music, visual art, dance) and also in the realm of social thought (sociology, historiography, philosophy), artists and intellectuals found a new way to explore the historical experiences of black America. They influenced the contemporary experiences of the black lives in the urban north. As is well known, the influence of WWI was very important to the Harlem Renaissance. Many African-Americans participated in WWI with great passion and they hoped that they could get more respect after they came backed from the war because they were bystanders of whole American culture. At the beginning blacks were very hopeful and optimistic because they thought they became the participants of the mainstream of American culture from the bystanders of American culture. However, their hopes and passion were disappointed after the war. In fact, the racial problem got worse after the war. According to this historical context, we can know that the national pride of blacks grew in this era.