This paper deals with some of the sociological implications of a major cultural high-water point in the African American experience, the New Negro/Harlem Renaissance. The paper concentrates on the cultural transformations brought about through the intellectual activity of political activists, a multi-genre group of artists, cultural brokers, and businesspersons. The driving-wheel thrust of this era was the reclamation and the invigoration of the traditions of the culture with an emphasis on both the, African and the American aspects, which significantly impacted American and international culture then and throughout the 20th century. This study examines the pre-1920s background, the forms of Black activism during the Renaissance, the modern content of the writers' work, and the enthusiasm of whites for the African American art forms of the era. This essay utilizes research from a multi-disciplinary body of sources, which includes sociology, cultural history, creative literature and literary criticism, autobiography, biography, and journalism.

At Bowling Green State University's Fourth Annual Ethnic Studies Conference, scholar Dr. James A. Banks observed that Bowling Green State University is soon to become the only institution of higher education in the United States to institute a university-wide requirement in cultural diversity. The implementation of this landmark requirement demonstrates the depth and vigor of the commitment to excellence and equity in education held by the University's Department of Ethnic Studies.