The Great Migration is believed to have been the biggest cause of the Harlem Renaissance. The movement by the African American people of the south, seeking to evade the southern white powers, is now known as "the explosive underground railroad".

Postwar prosperity was also a cause of the movement. Young, literate African Americans took advantage of this sudden boost in prosperity in America, moreso than the white youth.

Another cause of the Renaissance is likely the financial and educational motivations, as is such with most movements.