Harlem Renaissance
By: Noah Bartels
What does the Great Migration refer to and why did it occur?
It occurred from 1910 to 1970. It was the migration of African Americans to the northern part of the United States. This occurred because they were being treated poorly in the South and they wanted to get better jobs.
Why is the term "Harlem Renaissance" used to describe this literary period?
The Harlem Renaissance was a time of literary advancement that helped African Americans write about their experiences, and it also gave them an identity.
What was the common bond among the writers of this period?
They were all African Americans and they lived lives that African Americans would live. They told the stories of what life was like from their perspective.
What role did literature play in the struggle of racial injustice in their era?
They could express what they had been going through and they could give something that other people could read and learn about what was going on.
What reality were these 1920's generation of writers challenged to represent?
It showed that racism was real during this time in the United States and they and other minorities were treated differently.
3 Men and 3 Women Who Were Influential to the Harlem Renaissance
Aaron Douglas
Aaron Douglas was born in Topeka, Kansas. He lived from 1899-1979. Douglas was an artist who painted murals for public buildings, drew pictures, and cover designs for many publication books. Some of his works were "Boy with Toy Plane" and "Flight.
Jacob Lawrence
Jacob Lawrence was born in Atlantic City, New Jersey. He lived from 1917-2000. He was known for his paintings that showed African Americans migrating to the United States. Some of his most famous works are "Female Laborer" and "Dreams".
James Van Der Zee
James Van Der Zee was born in Lenox, Massachusetts. Van Der Zee lived from 1886-1983. He opened up his own studio and started to create detailed imagery of African American life. He captured celebrities like Florence Mills and Adam Clayton Powell Junior. Two of his most famous works were "Elks" and "Riding Habit."
Lois Mailou Jones
Lois Mailou Jones was born in Boston, Massachusetts. She lived from 1905-1998. She was an African American artist, who painted and entered her artwork into contests by means of her friends, so they wouldn't know an African American person painted them. When she did get awards, people figured out who she was and took them away. Some of her famous works were Buddha and Tritobia Hayes Benjamin.
Nella Larsen
Nella Larsen was born in Chicago, Illinois. She lived from 1893-1963. Larsen wrote psychological novels, which focused on people's minds. She received the Guggenheim Award in 1930 for her work. Two of her famous works were "Passing" and "Quicksand", her first novel.
Marita Bonner
Marita Bonner was born is Boston, Massachusetts. She lived from 1899 – 1971. Bonner wrote about the struggles that Negroes faced during the Harlem Renaissance. She wrote many stories and plays, but two main ones were "Drab Rambles" and "Nothing New".