Harlem Renaissance Biographical Dictionary

By

Trinity Episcopal School

Third Grade

Harlem Renaissance Biographical Dictionary

• The Harlem Renaissance was from 1919 to the mid 1930’s in America.

• Many forces contributed to this period of time, but a few of the crucial ones were the Great Migration after the Civil War, World War I, and immigration reform.

• African Americans joined together to create an era of music, dance, literature, and athletics that are still a major influence to the culture of the United States in the Twenty-First Century.

• The Harlem Renaissance ended mainly because of the Great Depression of the 1930’s.

• Listed are several artists, musicians, athletes, poets, and writers that were influential to this period.

• Trinity Third Graders hope to add to this list as this topic is studied in years to come.

Marian Anderson

• Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Feb.27th 1897• Died April 8, 1993• A Great Opera Singer• Hello my name is Emily and this is Anna Riley and we are here to tell you

about Marian Anderson.• Marian Anderson was born in Pennsylvania. She loved to sing a lot just like

her entire family did. Everyone liked it when she sang. When she was six years old she joined a junior church choir. Then she applied to an all white music school after her graduation from high school in 1921, but she was turned away because she was black. Race discrimination was a struggle for Marian. Still, she became one of the best opera singers in the whole world. She sang at the White House when she was older for Franklin D. Roosevelt and the First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. In 1972 she was awarded the U.N Peace Prize. She died of heart failure in 1993 in Portland, Oregon. She was a very important singer.

• To learn more follow this link.• http://www.lkwdpl.org/wihohio/ande-mar.htm• By Emily and Anna Riley

Louis Armstrong

• Louis Armstrong was born in New Orleans 1900• Died in-1971• Musician• Some people consider him to be the greatest trumpet player in the world.

His nickname is Satchel mouth because he had such huge white teeth like paper in a satchel. He went to a school for delinquent boys, but he learned music there and became leader of the band.

• After starting a band he then composed many songs. He also learned how to play many different instruments.

• To learn more follow this link.• http://www.factmonster.com/biography/var/louisarmstrong.html• By: Sara and Tommy

Aaron Douglas

• Born in Kansas• 1898-1979• Painter• In 1934 Aaron Douglas was commissioned to paint a series of

murals for the 135th Street branch of the New York Public Library. • One struggle was that Douglas was black and even though the

Union had won the Civil War there was still colorization and he didn’t get the best paints or easels.

• To learn more follow this link.• http://www.hometoharlem/hthcult.nsf/noteables/aarondouglas • By: Joey and Jonathan

Duke Ellington

• Edward Kennedy “Duke” Ellington•• Duke Ellington was born in Washington DC on April 29th 1899 .He

died on May 24th 1974, in New York .He composed and played swing music one of the most loved forms of Jazz. He also played in an Orchestra. Ellington’s mother was very religious. Ellington had a younger sister. Ellington’s wife Edna Thompson played the piano in DC!! Duke Ellington was also an Athlete!! His real name is Edward Kennedy Ellington American pianist who was the greatest jazz composer and bandleader.

• To find more information follow this link.• http://www.google.com/search?

hl=en&q=duke+ellington&btnG=Google+Search• By: Briley and Cecilia

Jesse Redmon Fauset

• Birthplace - unknown• April 27, 1882-April 30, 1961• Poet• Jesse Redmon Fauset lived in New York during the Harlem

Renaissance. She wrote twenty novels. Her first novel was There Is Confusion (1924). She could not get it published because it did not contain stereotypical character or plots.

• To learn more follow this link.• www.dcilibrary.org/blken/bios/fauset.html • By: Amanda and Garrett

Josh Gibson

• Born December 21, 1911 in Buena Vista, Georgia• Died January 20, 1947 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania• Athlete• Josh Gibson lived in Georgia during the Harlem Renaissance. He

played baseball. Josh Gibson got his start with Homestead of the Negro National League in July, 1930 when he came out of the stands to replace the Gray’s injured Catcher. His struggles were he died three months before the integration in the Major leagues. The website we used was Josh Gibson National Baseball Hall of Fame. The book we used was Baseball Encyclopedia.

• To learn more follow this link.• http://www.baseballhalloffame.org/hofers_and_honorees/

hofer_bios/gibson_josh.htm• By: Dimitri and Grayson

Charles Gilpin

• Born in Richmond, Virginia • 1878-1930 (died at age 51)• Actor• Charles Gilpin lived in Richmond, Virginia during part of the Harlem

Renaissance. He joined the nation’s first legitimate black theater company. He performed as the “Emperor Jones.” In 1914 he appeared in the leading role in the “Girl at the Fort.” The company was sold, but Charles Gilpin stayed with the company and helped the Lafayette players at the First Stock Co. in Harlem. He quit school when he was 12 years old.

• To learn more follow this link.• www.si.umich.edu/CHICO/harlem/text/gilpin.hmp• By Claudia and Georgia

Langston Hughes

• Born 1902 – Died 1967• Poet• Langston Hughes was a poet in the Renaissance time. He was born

in Joplin, Missouri Feb.1, 1902. His parents divorced when he was a small child. He wrote many books, poems, and plays:– The Negro Artist and the Racial Mountain– Five Plays– The Panther & the Lash– Good Morning Revolution– The Weary Blues– Not Without Laughter

• To learn more follow this link.• http://www.redhotjazz.com/hughes.html• By: Coco and David

Zora Neale Hurston

• Born in Notaslga , Alabama January 7, 1891 died on January 28, 1960 in Fort Pierce, Florida.

• Writer• Zora Neale Hurston was a writer and she lived in Harlem.• She wrote lots of books like: Their Eyes Where Watching God, Dust

Track On the Road and Tell My Horse.• Zora’s struggles where that her mother died in 1904. Zora didn’t

really take much to her new stepmother. They where trying to create a African- American community. Sadly the authors had a misunderstanding.

• To learn more follow this link.• http://www.lkwdpl.org/wihohio/hurs-zor.htm• By: Andrew and Sophia

Jacob Lawrence

• Born September 7, 1917• Birthplace – Atlantic City, New Jersey• Died June 9, 2000 in Chicago, Illinois• Painter• Some of his major works and accomplishments were Migration of

the Negro, The Life of Frederick Douglas, and The Life of Harriet Tubman.

• Some of his struggles happened when he was young. He had to go to live with a foster family while his mother earned money to try and support them later. He was also part of the Great Migration.

• To learn more follow this link.• http://www.myhero.com/myhero/hero.asp?hero=jacob_lawrence• By: Caroline and Alexander

Florence Mills

• Born in Washington D.C.• January 25, 1895-November 1, 1927• Singer /Dancer• Florence Mills was one of the best singers in the world. • She was one of the all time greatest stars of the Black Theater. • She lived with her two sisters and parents.• Her sisters and her would dance and sing together.• And, did you know she was known as the Queen of Happiness?• Her parents were born into slavery and her parents were illiterate so

it was hard for her to learn.• To learn more follow this link.• http://www.florencemills.com• By: Madalena and Alex

Jesse Owens

• Born in a small town in Alabama• 1913-1980• Athlete • Jesse Owens was a famous track runner. He was born in a small town in

Alabama during the Harlem Renaissance. One of his accomplishments was during 1976 when he was awarded the highest honor that a civilian of the United States can receive. He won many awards and races.

• GO!! Jesse Owens and his fellow students were timed in a 60-yard dash. After Jesse finished, Coach Charley Riley immediately asked natural runner Jesse Owens to join the track team. It was now a bright new beginning. Jesse continued to be successful. Owens wiped out 3 world records and tied a 4th in a record time 45 to70 minutes at The Big Ten Conferences. Even with all of Jesse’s accomplishments, he had financial struggles. Jesse’s family was poor, but Jesse lived his dream [being a track runner].

• He married Ruth Solomon, had 3 kids, and took part in history. Go Jesse!• To learn more follow this link.• www.jesseowens.com • By: Katherine and Lia

Satchel Paige

• Born 1906• Died 1982• Baseball Player• Satchel Paige was born in July 7, of 1906 in Alabama and died in

1982 on July 8, in Missouri. He was a right-handed pitcher in the Negro Leagues and Major League Baseball who is considered to be among the greatest baseball pitchers of all time. He got the name Satchel when he seven as he was working on a railroad track. Someone said he looked like a Satchel tree and that’s how he got the name Satchel. He was arrested in 1918 because of stealing. He was released in 1923. Some of his great accomplishments are he was the highest paid player in the Negro League.

• To learn more follow this link:• http://www.satchelpaige.com/• By: Annalise and Chase

Paul Robeson

• Born in Princeton, New Jersey • 1898-1976• Singer, actor, and an athlete • Paul Robeson got in the College Football Hall of Fame 9

years after his death and earned the international acclaim for his lead role in Othello. He also played in Showboat, Body and Soul, Jericho, and Proud Valley and his last concert was to New Zealand and Australia. His dad was a runaway slave and his mom died of a stove fire.

• For more information go to the website below.• http://www.cpsr.cs.uchicago.edu/robeson/bio.html• By Stevie and Spencer

Bill “Bojangles” Robinson

• Born in Richmond, Virginia• 1878-1949 [Died at age 71]• Tap Dancer• Bill Robinson was an ordinary kid until he got his first nickname “Bojangles”.

He got the nickname “Bojangles” because he was such a great entertainer. Bojangles was so great he got to do an act in a white man’s play. Some of his movies didn’t really make him a lot of money. He really didn’t get to learn to read or write. When he was a kid he ran away from his grandmother to Washington D.C. and would dance for pennies from the people on the street.

• To learn more follow this link.• www.shufsd.org/schools/countrywood/ferrara/bojang_peace_valen/mr.bojangles.html• By: Elizabeth and Rory

Sugar Ray Robinson

• Born 1921• Died 1989• Boxer• Sugar Ray Robinson was born on May 3, 1921 in Ailey, Georgia

and died on April 12, 1989 in Culver City California. Sugar Ray Robinson had 84 knockouts in his career and 200 fights. Sugar Ray Robinson was a five time middle weight champ between the years of 1951 and 1960. He turned pro in October ,1940 and retired somewhere around 1984.

• Sugar Ray Robinson had a lot of struggles but one was to keep fighting when he got hit. I think he was an inspiration to boxers every where.

• To find more information follow this link:• http://www.cmgworldwide.com/sports/robinson/biography.html• By: Nick and G

Augusta Savage

• Born in Florida in 1892, died 1962. • She was a sculptor• One of Augusta Savage’s famous pieces is “Lift Your Voice and

Sing.’’ Augusta made sculptures of African American Artists. She loved teaching kids art because she knew that children knew art.

• Augusta had 14 kids in her family. When she arrived in New York City to become a sculptor she only had $4. 60.

• To find more information follow this link:• http://northbysouth.kenyon.edu/1998/art/pages/savage.htm• By: Nicole and Michael .

Bessie Smith• Bessie Smith• Born in Chattanooga, Tennessee• 1894-1937 (died in Clarksdale, Mississippi)• Blues Singer• She was the highest paid black entertainer of

her day. People called her the queen of blues. Later she was called the empress of blues. Her struggles were her dad died before she could remember him and her mom died when she was nine, so her oldest sister had to be in charge of 13 kids. They had to sing on the street to get money for her family. She never went to school to learn music. Everything she knew about music she learned by watching other people.

• For more information go to the website:• http://www.redhotjazz.com/bessie.html • by Jordyn and Nesi

Wallace Thurman

• Born in Salt Lake City, Utah• 1902-1934(died in New York City)• Writer• Wallace Thurman lived in New York City. He was an

author of several books such as: The Blacker the Berry, Infants In The Spring, and the Interne. He helped start a few magazines and they weren’t successful. He suffered from alcoholism a good part of his life.

• To find out more information follow this link:• http://aalbc.com/authors/wallace.htm• By Trevor and Morgan

James Van Der Zee

• Born in Massachusetts on June 29, 1886• Died on May 15, 1983• Photographer• James Van Der Zee has 40,000 prints and negatives

that he created in his lifetime. • During the Harlem Renaissances his photos were not

very popular. He had a hard time selling his photos during the Great Depression. People say that he captured the life and spirit in Harlem for 50 years!

• To find more information follow this link:• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Van_Der_Zee• by: Allison and Missy