edu p&l 863: an interpretive history of african …...organizations, unions and associations...

Running Head: THE HARLEM RENAISSANCE AND THE PURPOSE OF NEGRO ART

EDU P&L 863: An Interpretive History of African-American Education, 1700 to 1950

Final Project: The Harlem Renaissance and the Purpose of Negro Art

Alyssa Elmore

Ohio State University

November 29, 2011


The Harlem Renaissance and the Purpose of Negro Art

Overview

Introduction

In 1920s and 1930s America, a cultural phenomenon erupted in New York City. This

phenomenon can also be viewed as an awakening and was an extensive period of artistic

advancement and racial consciousness. The Harlem Renaissance, also known as the Negro

Renaissance and the New Negro Movement, was an intellectual and artistic hotbed that was

home to a great number of writers, artists, sculptors, poets, singers, dancers, philosophers and

politicians.

Within the movement, heavy debate existed as to the purpose of the art that was being

created. Was it to advance the race? Or was it to be an outlet for artistic expression for the

young artists? In this paper I will provide a general and brief overview of the Harlem

Renaissance as a cultural and political movement. I will focus on the debate for the purpose of

the written works produced in the movement. My instructional unit will be focused on the

purpose of black art during the Harlem Renaissance with a link to the contemporary. My goal is

to have students critically evaluate sources of art in the hip hop community and discuss whether


or not the messages that are sent should be to better the artists or the community. I fully

acknowledge that there are differences between the Harlem Renaissance and Hip Hop

movement. I wish to make the subject matter relevant to students while encouraging them to

critically consider the types of art that they consume.

A General Overview of the Harlem Renaissance

There were important social, cultural, political, and economic issues that were occurring

as the Harlem Renaissance came into being. According to Clement Alexander Price (2003),

“The years that surround that unique cultural, intellectual, and social phenomenon, which began

in earnest on the eve of the 1920s and continued well into the 1930s, also stand out as one of the

most important chapters in the overall history of African ancestry and of American culture

generally” (xi). He suggests that in the late nineteenth century, scholars in history, anthropology

and the sciences questioned racial perceptions that were used to describe and subjugate blacks.

By the end of 1918, many scholars maintained that race was a social invention. This idea

contributed to the intellectuals in the Harlem Renaissance, as they believed that black

contributions were valuable to the world. Black artists used several mediums to tell their stories

in their own voices, showing that their views were just as significant as that of other cultures.

The Great Migration also played a role in the sense that this brought blacks from the

South to the Northeast and other areas for greater economic opportunities as well as escaping the

racial oppression. Many of the black writers and artists within the movement were not native


New Yorkers. For example, writers Arna Bontemps and Zora Neale Hurston were from

Louisiana and Florida, respectively. The Great Migration provided a way for these artists to

reach Harlem. Blacks’ participation in World War I and the anger and militancy that occurred

afterwards also contributed to the Harlem Renaissance. Blacks fought for America only to return

and still be treated as second-class citizens. Additionally, Hutchinson (1995) maintains that “the

black nationalism of Marcus Garvey [and] disaffection with “Western civilization,” white

intellectuals; supposed fascination with the primitive and exotic, and the social power of racist

science and “plantation school” literary stereotypes” were also occurring at this time. He argues

that the Negro renaissance was impacted by the following: “Economic expansion and massive

shifts of population interacted with institutional arrangements both to restructure the contexts in

which black and white authors and audiences interacted and to shape the forms of American

‘modernism’” (4).

Although these social, economic and political issues impacted the creation of civil rights

organizations, unions and associations during the Harlem Renaissance, the movement is best

known for the arts created by blacks. The arts such as music and the performing arts, literature,

poetry, painting and sculpture flourished during this time. Noted intellectual W.E.B. Du Bois

used the NAACP’s publication, The Crisis, to give new artists a forum to express their ideas

toward racial upliftment. Other literary magazines were created as well, such as the Opportunity

magazine through the National Urban League, Half-Century Magazine in Chicago and The

Competitor in Philadelphia. (West, 2003).

This is by no means an exhaustive list of the artists who made the Harlem Renaissance

possible, but I will attempt to name a few: visual artists such as Augusta Savage, Romare

Beardon, Jacob Lawrence and Aaron Douglas, prominent writers such as Jane Toomer, Alain


Locke, Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston, Claude McKay and Jessie Fauset, and

musicians and singers such as Scott Joplin, Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday, Lena Horne and Ella

Fitzgerald made a significant contribution to the period and rose to prominence during this time.

(xviii-xxi)

In essence, the Harlem Renaissance was a period of cultural enlightenment and

advancement that was impacted by the social, economic, political and cultural forces of the time.

Black artists sought to make their voices heard through various mediums.

The Debate: The Old Guard versus The New Negro

The Harlem Renaissance was a hotbed of political activity and debate. One of these

debates was the purpose of the black art that was being produced. Older intellectuals and writers

such as W.E.B. Du Bois supported artists whose work was dedicated to racial uplift. In his

piece, The Younger Literary Movement, Du Bois (1924) states, “There have been times when we

writers of the older set have been afraid that the procession of those who seek to express the life

of the American Negro was thinning and that none were coming forward to fill the footsteps of

the fathers… but even as we ask, “Where are the young Negro artists to mold and weld this


mighty material about us?” – even as we ask, they come” (503). Du Bois names the

contributions of Countee Cullen, Jessie Fauset, Jane Toomer, Langston Hughes, Georgia

Johnson, Gwendolyn Bennett and Claude McKay. He specifically critiques Jean Toomer’s

writing as he states, “His art carries much that is difficult or even impossible to understand. The

artist, of course, has a right deliberately to make his art a puzzle to the interpreter (the whole

world is a puzzle) but on the other hand I am myself unduly irritated by this sort of thing… all of

these essays and stories, even when I do not understand them, have their strange flashes of

power, their numerous messages and numberless reasons for being. But still they are partially

spoiled…” (505). Du Bois’ ideas and subsequent displeasure is further noted in pieces such as A

Negro Art Renaissance and Criteria of Negro Art. In the latter piece, Du Bois states, “The thing

we are talking about tonight is part of the great fight we are carrying on and it represents a

forward and an upward look – a pushing onward” (509).

The New Negro movement reflected the ideas that blacks wanted a new representation of

themselves. This was in direct opposition to the “old negro,” who was seen as subservient,

criminal and illiterate. In his text The New Negro Anthology, Alain Locke maintains that his goal

was “to document the New Negro culturally and socially, to register the transformations of the

inner and outer life of the Negro in America.” “Old Negroes” to Locke were a “politically and


economically dependent race that may be described collectively as ‘the sick men of American

Democracy’” (West & West, 2003, p. 233).

There were younger artists who did not necessarily share this idea. In 1926, novelist and

playwright Wallace Thurman edited and published Fire!!: A Quarterly Devoted to the Younger

Negro Artists. According to West & West, Fire!! contributors consisted of a group of young

writers “discontented with the staid mandate of the New Negro movement” (113). Fire!! was to

serve as an alternative to the publications such as The Crisis. Writers contributed short stories,

poetry, and a play by writers such as Hughes, Hurston, Cullen and Bontemps. Many of the

stories were considered as vulgar and used coarse language. While Du Bois supported the

author’s efforts, he expressed outrage at the content. Other members of the old guard expressed

outrage as well.


Conclusion

The Harlem Renaissance was a period of intense cultural growth. Within the movement,

heavy debate existed as to the purpose of the art that was being created. Older members of the

movement believed that the art created needed to advance the race while many younger artists

wanted to express their creativity without this restraint. In this unit, I focus upon the purpose of

black art, more specifically written works, that were created during the Harlem Renaissance with

a link to the contemporary. My goal is to have students critically evaluate sources of art in the

hip hop community and discuss whether or not the messages that are sent should be to better the

artists or the community. I am highly interested in how students can express their thoughts and

use their voices to create their own literary work while critically discussing the literary work’s

purpose in the creation process. The unit’s activities culminate in a student edited and created

literary magazine like Fire!! that expresses their views on a topic of their choosing.


Unit Activities

Lesson 1: Introduction (the lessons begin after the students have a general understand of the Harlem Renaissance in general)

Ask students to reflect on the following questions in writing on the provided index cards: “What types of things do you like to read? How do you read them? Why do you like to read them? What types of information do you think that you get from them? (Ex: books, magazines, on the internet through blogs, newspapers, etc.)

Students will trade index cards with elbow partners, read each other’s responses and discuss them. They should ask their partners about their interests.

Volunteers will share their responses and a student will create a visual of the types of things the students like to read on chart paper for the class.

Exit Ticket: Ask students to think about what they would write or draw if they were the author and how they would present it. Would it be in a book, magazine, blog, poetry, newspaper, songs, etc.)

Lesson 2:

Share exit ticket responses from the previous day and ask students to share how they would choose to express themselves if they had the opportunity.

Show the students a video on the artists of the Harlem Renaissance and lead a discussion on the historical context.

Show a copy of Fire!! to the class and ask if and why magazines that are written by students and young people are important. Extend this beyond written forms of expression and ask about photography, art, sculpture, music, etc.

Distribute other magazine examples. Ask students to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of the magazines based on their interests in groups of three or four. Ask what students would add, take away or change to make the content more relevant and interesting to them. Extend the conversation to the entire group.

Writing Activity: What would be the best way for you to express your views to the entire school and beyond? Responses will be polled and presented during the next class.


Lessons 3-4: The Purpose of Art

Refer to yesterday’s video about the purpose of art. Ask students to reflect on whether art should uplift people and send a message or if it should be an outlet for whatever students want it to be.

Show two socially conscious videos of your choosing. I am choosing The Doll Test and another video about skin color. Ask students to compare, contrast and analyze each argument and discuss the purpose of each video in written form. Share responses with an elbow partner. Responses will then be shared with the class.

After this discussion, play and distribute two songs. I would have them both be socially conscious but in different ways. I am choosing John Legend’s “If You’re Out There” and Jay-Z’s “A Ballad for the Fallen Soldier”. Ask students to follow the same exercise. Analyze, compare and contrast the two pieces individually, in partners and then as a class.

For the next class, have students listen to and analyze a socially conscious piece and a piece that YOU may not consider socially conscious. Engage students in the above exercise and engage them in a debate about which piece is better (in their opinion) and why.

Homework: Tell students that they will be having a debate about the purpose of art. They need to prepare for this by choosing specific forms of art that they can use to bolster their argument. Do not choose sides for them. They need to be ready to argue either side so they need to prepare well.

Lessons 5-6: Debate

Split the class for the debate.

DEBATE: What is the purpose of art?

Record the debate so that it can be shown to the class the next day. Have students critically analyze the strengths and weaknesses of the points that have been made. Challenge students to be critical about how we see art and the importance of feeling as though your own voice is being reflected. Ask students to consider the difficulty of the debate. Did they agree with the side that they argued? If you choose, pick one person from each side to argue for them. Ask how this makes them feel. Did they like others speaking for them? Why is it important to be able to speak for yourself?

Refer back to the video of the debate of black art in the Harlem Renaissance. Have students critically analyze, compare and contrast an issue of The Crisis and Fire!!. Have students write a one to two page response answering: What are their arguments? Do you agree or disagree with what each side is saying that art should represent?

Exit Ticket: Tell students they will be making their own publication like The Crisis and Fire!!. Ask what should be the purpose of the publication.


Lessons 7-8: The Project

Discuss the responses to the purpose of the class’ literary magazine and come to a consensus.

Discuss the best way to create the magazine. What material should be included? What message are we trying to send? Collect responses and break students into groups according to their interests. (Photography, art, stories, poetry, etc.). It is perfectly alright if there is a group of students who want to make art that has an uplifting message and one group that wants to share their feelings.

Tell students that an editor will be needed for each section and there will be one editor in chief.

The expectations of the project are as follows:

• Every student will submit at least 1 piece of their choosing that expresses their thoughts toward the chosen topic.

• This will be an in-class and take-home project.

• Submit 3 pieces of art that you feel share your view on the purpose of art. Critically analyze the sources and write a one page analysis for each.

• You will have one week to submit the piece to the editor.

• We will group editing session in each group.

• The group editor will submit the finished pieces to the Editor-In-Chief and we will discuss its arrangement as a class.

Final Lessons:

Compile the magazine

Choose a title design

Give to the teacher to publish in the desired form (bound, class blog post, etc).


Bibliography

Primary Sources / Periodicals and Media

Carter, S. (2002). A ballad for the fallen soldier. The Blueprint²: The Gift & the Curse Disc 2 [disc]. New York: Roc-A-Fella Records.

Fire!! (1926). Wallace Thurman (Ed.). New York, NY: Fire Press.

Legend, J. (2008). If you’re out there. Evolver [disc]. New York: Sony.

Secondary Sources

Hutchinson, G. (1995). The harlem renaissance in black and white. Cambridge, MA: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press.

Ikonne, C. (1981). From du bois to van vechten: The early new negro literature 1903-1926. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press.

Remembering the harlem renaissance. (1996). C.D. Wintz, (Ed.). New York, NY: Garland Publishing, Inc.

Simmons, G., Hutchinson, H., & Simmons, H. (1972). Black culture: reading and writing black. New York, NY: Hold, Rinehart and Winston, Inc.

The emergence of the harlem renaissance. (1996). C.D. Wintz, (Ed.). New York, NY: Garland Publishing, Inc.

The harlem renaissance 1920-1940: The politics and aesthetics of “new negro” literature. (1996). C.D. Wintz, (Ed.). New York, NY: Garland Publishing, Inc

Voices from the harlem renaissance. (1995). N.I. Huggins (Ed.). New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

West, A. & West, S. L. (2003). Encyclopedia of the harlem renaissance. New York, NY: Facts on File.

Internet Sources

The Library of Congress, The Harlem Renaissance Primary Source Set. http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/primarysourcesets/harlem-renaissance/

**This site has a very extensive bibliography as well**

http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/primarysourcesets/harlem-renaissance/


John Carroll University, Harlem Renaissance Multimedia Resource. http://www.jcu.edu/harlem/performers/timeline.htm

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