In the 1920s, black intellectuals in Harlem began a movement to promote black achievement and full equality. They proposed that "New Negroes," unfettered by a slave mentality and proud of their history and culture, could produce works of art equal to any. They believed that artistic achievement would provide a basis for equality in all spheres. their ideas sparked an outpouring of fiction, poetry, plays and music known as the Harlem Renaissance. (28 items, including a study guide).