- Netflix's "High on the Hog" season two premiered on November 22.
- Episode two explored the culinary and cultural relevance of Harlem, a prominent neighborhood in New York City.
- Black community members' food, art, and creativity thrived during The Harlem Renaissance.
The Harlem Renaissance describes a time in American history when Black people birthed a new identity for themselves in New York City.
According to History.com, the Harlem Renaissance, roughly from the 1910s to mid-1930s, sparked after World War I when many Black Americans fled Jim Crow-era racial discrimination in the South by moving north in the Great Migration. Black residents explored art, food, literature, theater, politics, and more in Harlem.
Over eight decades after the Harlem Renaissance ended, food historian and "High on the Hog" host Stephen Satterfield toured the famed neighborhood during season two.
"The move North created a cultural explosion that gave way to African American entrepreneurship and a new middle class," Satterfield said.
Take a look at what life was like during the Harlem Renaissance.
Many white residents and shopkeepers left Harlem as Black people arrived, but some delicatessen owners continued to serve their predominantly Black clientele.
Source: Getty Images, History.com
Black people sought economic freedom during this chapter in history, including operating this chandelier-decorated barber shop photographed in 1929.
Source: Getty Images
Hundreds of Black-owned businesses popped up in Harlem in this period. One survey taken in 1921 found 700.
Source: Getty Images, Digital Harlem
Dunbar National Bank was the first bank in the neighborhood that was managed and staffed by Black Americans.
Source: Getty Images
Black residents also explored different religions during The Harlem Renaissance, including Judaism and Christianity.
Source: Getty Images
Additionally, Harlem is home to the Abyssinian Baptist Church, which was built around 1920 after 2,000 church members pledged to give one-tenth of their weekly income to fund construction.
Source: Getty Images, Abyssinian Baptist Church
Harlem's Black community was also entrenched in politics, with figures like Marcus Garvey gaining attention. A 1924 photograph shows him at the Universal Negro Improvement Association parade in Harlem.
Source: Getty Images
In 1926, a photographer captured the moment Black residents waited in line to vote — a difficult feat for Black Americans across the country amid racial discrimination.
Source: Getty Images, Library of Congress
The arts took center stage during The Harlem Renaissance, where venues like Lafayette Theatre became a cultural staple for both Black and white audiences alike. Lafayette was the first New York theater to desegregate.
Source: Getty Images, Black Theatre Matters
The Apollo Theatre played a central part in exposing music like jazz and bebop and is still influential because of the immensely talented performers who graced the stage.
Source: Getty Images, Apollo Theatre
The Harlem Renaissance's nightlife was legendary for venues like The Cotton Club, where guests enjoyed drinks and performances by chorus girls.
Source: Getty Images
And Small's Paradise Club was another popular nightlife spot at the time.
Source: Getty Images
Young Black Harlemnites also enjoyed creative activities like dance classes.
Source: Getty Images
Harlem was — and still is — a tight-knit community beaming with creative expression.
Source: Getty Images