The Harlem Renaissance of the twenties and thirties brought the artistic contributions of the Negro to a new level as white America began to recognize the voices of poets like Countee Cullen, Claude McKay, and Langston Hughes. It was a particularly dazzling time in the creati ve world of African Americans: "To most of the younger artists, including Thurman, Hughes, Hurston, and even the relatively conservative Cullen, the essence of the renaissance was freedom – freedom for them to create as they saw fit, without regard to politics." It is interesting to note that during this period, the desire to break with or deny an African heritage reached its high point among Negro poets, while paradoxically, many poets also called for greater recognition of the uniqueness of Negro creativity and their contributions to American culture.