What was the Harlem Renaissance? Inspired by the civil rights movement, it was a movement that focused on using art to influence political activism. It was a cultural and artistic movement that spread throughout Europe during the 14th to 17th centuries. It was a neighborhood in New York City’s borough of Manhattan, which has been the center of African American culture. It was an explosioWhat was the Harlem Renaissance? Inspired by the civil rights movement, it was a movement that focused on using art to influence political activism. It was a cultural and artistic movement that spread throughout Europe during the 14th to 17th centuries. It was a neighborhood in New York City’s borough of Manhattan, which has been the center of African American culture. It was an explosion of arts and culture in the African American community in the decades after World War I. n of arts and culture in the African American community in the decades after World War I.