STUDYGUIDE

OVERVIEWTheHarlemRenaissancewasaperiodofintenseinterestinmusic,literaturevisualartandculturecreatedbytalentedyoungAfricanAmericanswhomigratedtoHarlem.

BACKGROUNDINFORMATIONInthelate19thcentury,HarlemwasanaffluentwhitesuburbofNewYorkCity.BuildingswereputuprapidlytoaccommodatethelargenumbersofEuropeanimmigrantswhowerelookingforhousing.Buildersrealizedtoolatethattheyhadputuptoomanynewhousesandthepriceoflandandbuildingsfell.Inordertomakeupfortheirlosses,realtorsbegantoturntoAfricanAmericanrealestateagents.AfricanAmericansstreamedintoHarlem,buyingandrentingpropertyasitbecameavailable.AfricanAmericanchurchesandbusinessesfollowedthepopulationuptowntoHarlem.AfricanAmericansmigratedfromotherareasofNewYorkCity,fromtheSouthandtheCaribbean.HarlemsoonbecametheAfricanAmericancapitolofAmerica.Bythe1920'sHarlemwasaprosperouscommunityinwhichaflourishingAfricanAmericanculturebegantoemerge.ThisperiodwasknownastheHarlemRenaissancebecausesomanytalentedAfricanAmericanssettledinHarlem.Theseartistscelebratedtheirheritageandtookprideintheirancestorsandthemselves.ItwasalsoaperiodinwhichwhiteAmericansbegantoappreciateAfricanAmericanart,musicandliteratureandmadeexcursionstoHarlemtoenjoythecolorfulandexoticnightlife.TheCottonClubwasthemostfamousofthenightclubsthatcateredtoWhites.TheseclubsgavewhitestheopportunitytoobserveAfricanAmericanculturewithoutbecomingpartofit.BecauseofProhibition,theseclubsalsosoldbootleg(illegal)liquor.

TheresaBar&Grill,1933.PhotobyJamesVanDerZee,TheJamesVanDerZeeCollection.

HARLEMRENAISSANCETIMELINE1919 The369thInfantryRegimentofBlackAmericanSoldiersreturnsfromFranceandmarches

upFifthAvenuetocheersfromahugecrowd.Twenty-fiveraceriotsoccurasWhitesandBlackscompeteforpostwarjobsandBlacksmovetomajorAmericancities.W.E.B.DuBois*foundsBrownie'sBook,achildren'sliterarymagazine.ClaudeMcKay'spoem,IfWeMustDie,ispublished.

1920 TheFirstInternationalConventionoftheNegroPeoplesoftheWorldisheldatMadison

SquareGarden,NY.1921 TheNegroSpeaksofRiversbyLangstonHughes,ispublishedinCrisis,themagazineofthe

NAACP.1922 ThefirstNegroBroadwayshow,ShuffleAlong,withmusicbyEubieBlake,isproduced.

TheBookofAmericanNegroPoetry,byJamesWeldonJohnson,ispublished.1923 Thepostwareconomygrowsstronger,withunprecedentedgrowthinthestockmarket,

consumerproductsandcorporateprofits.DukeEllingtonarrivesinNewYorkCity.

1924 TheHarlemRenaissanceisrecognizedassuch.1925 TheCottonClubisclosedbecauseofProhibition.1926 LangstonHughespublishesTheWearyBlues.

TheHarmonFoundationholdsthefirstofitsannualartexhibitionsofpaintingandsculpturebyBlackartists.

1927 DukeEllingtonopensatthenewCottonClub.1928 ClaudeMcKaypublisheshisfirstnovel,HometoHarlem,withjacketillustrationbyAaron

Douglas.TheDarkTower,asaloninheiressA'LeliaWalker's*Harlemtownhouseopens.TheDarkTowerbecomesanextravagantsocialforumforthefashionableBlackelite.PoemsbyLangstonHughesandCounteeCullenwerepaintedonthewallsbyalocalsignpainter.

1929 AaronDouglasiscommissionedtopaintmuralsforFiskUniversity'sErastusMiloCravath

LibraryinNashville,Tennessee.TheGreatDepression*beginswiththestockmarketcrashinOctober.

1930 TheTheresaBar&Grill*becomesthelargesthotelintheU.S.cateringtoBlackAmericans.1932 Twenty-twoAmericanssailtoRussiatotakepartinBlackandWhite,afilmabout

segregationintheAmericanSouth.1935 TheHarlemRiot*onMarch19markstheendoftheRenaissance.

WHO'SWHO-WHAT'SWHAT*W.E.B.DuBoisfoundedtheNationalAssociationfortheAdvancementofColoredPeople(NAACP)andCrisisMagazine,whichstartedoutastheliteraryjournaloftheNAACP.HewastheeditorofCrisisfrom1910-1935andpublishedmanyblackpoetsandnovelists.Hewasinternationallyacclaimedasascholarandwasaspokesmanforallpeoplesofcolor.*TheCottonClub-OneofHarlem'sgreatestnightclubs.(Cotton=whitesonly).WhitepatronswereentertainedbyHarlem'sfinestmusiciansanddancers.*Prohibition-Alawforbiddingthemanufacture,sale,transportationandpossessionofalcoholicbeverages,1920-1933.*TheTheresaBar&Grill-Duringthe1930'stheBar&GrillwasameetingplaceforHarlemcelebrities.*DukeEllington-Jazzbandleader,Pianistandcomposer.Hewrotesymphonies,"sacredconcerts",filmscoresandpopularsongs.*A'LeliaWalker-Harlemsocialitewhoinheritedafortuneinahair-straighteningempire,builtbyhermother,thefirstBlackmillionaire.*TheGreatDepression-ThelongestandmostsevereeconomicdownturninAmericanhistory.Widelyheldtobeginwiththestockmarketcrashof1929,theDepressionlasteduntilWorldWarII.Unemploymentaffectedone-thirdofthepopulation.Homelessness,povertyandgeneraldespaircharacterizedmuchofthenation.*TheHarlemRiot-AneventwhichkeptHarleminturmoilfortheentireafternoonandnightofMarch19-20,1935,resultingindeaths,numerousinjuriesandarrests,andpropertydamageof$150,000.ItwastheresultofdeepfrustrationinHarlem,acommunityof200,000inwhichunemploymenthadreachednearly70%ofthepopulationafterfiveyearsoftheDepression.Thisfrustrationwasaggravatedbycontinuingeconomicandsocialdiscrimination,prejudiceandrankmisgovernment.*TheGreatMigration-duringthisperiod,mostAfricanAmericanslivedintheSouth.LifeintheruralSouthwasveryhardandAfricanAmericanshaddifficultygettingjobsandenoughmoneytoliveon.Becausethereweremorejobsinnortherncities,especiallyinNewYork,theybegantomoveNorth.WorldWarIcontributedtotherichjobmarketatthetime.Inwartime,manygoodsneedtobemanufacturedtosupportthewareffort,andmostofthefactorieswereinnortherncities.PeoplealsomigratedfromHaiti,Martinique,Guadeloupe,Cuba,JamaicaandPuertoRicoandsettledinHarlem.Thecuisine,knownas"soulfood"wasinternationalandincludedbiscuits,cornbread,friedchicken,pig'stails,mangoesandavocados.Duringtheyears1904-1929asmoreandmoreBlacksmovedintoHarlemitbecameovercrowded.Landlordsspentlessandlessonmaintainingthebuildingsanditeventuallybecameaslum.

GroupPortraitInTheDarkTower.PhotobyJamesVanDerZee.TheJamesVanDerZeeCollection.

AFEWWORDSABOUTJAZZJazzbeganabout100yearsagoinNewOrleans.AfricanslavesbroughttheirtraditionofdrummingandcomplexrhythmstoAmerica.InAfricanearlyallaspectsoflifewereaccompaniedbydrummingandchanting-plantingcrops,huntingforfood,celebrationsandtribalgatherings.ThecityofNewOrleanshaditsownrichculturalheritagebroughtbyEuropeansettlers,bothFrenchandSpanish.Jazzwastheresultofthemeetingofthesediversecultures-FrenchandSpanishpopularsongsanddancesmeldedwithAfricandrumming,combinedwithfolkmusicandProtestanthymns.WhenAfricanAmericanslearnedtoplaywesternmusicalinstrumentstheyincorporatedmanyofthespeechpatternsandrhythmsofAfrica.TheharmonicstructureofEuropeanmusicwasadopted.Improvisationisanimportantelementofjazz.Manyearlyjazzmusiciansplayedfrommemoryandbyear.Oftentheywouldplaytunesthattheyknewwell,andwouldplaythemindifferentways,makingupnewvariationseverytimetheyplayedthem.JazzisauniquelyAmericanartform.ItistheresultofawonderfulblendingofdifferentstylesofmusicthatcouldonlyhappeninasculturallydiverseasettingasOldNewOrleans.

PortraitofWomanSeatedAtPiano.PhotobyJamesVanDerZee,TheJamesVanDerZeeCollection.

CHARACTERSTHATYOUWILLMEETINOFEBONYEMBERSLANGSTONHUGHES(1902-1967)JamesMercerLangstonHughes,amixtureofFrench,IndianandAfricanblood,wastheauthorandeditorofnumerousworksofpoetry,fictionandhistory.Oneofhisgreatestpoems,TheNegroSpeaksofRivers,waswrittenonthebackofanenvelopeasherodeatrainovertheMississippiriver.HewasconsideredthepoetlaureateofHarlemafterwritingajazz-inspiredcollection,TheWearyBlues.HetraveledtoCubaandtoRussiawherehetookpartinafilmagainstwhitesupremacyandtoSpainwhereheservedasacorrespondentfortheBaltimoreAfro-Americannewspaper.Hugheswrotechildren'sbooksandfoundedtheatregroupsinHarlem,Chicago,andLosAngeles.ToYou(seenonvideotape)Tositanddream,tositandread,TositandlearnabouttheworldOutsideourworldofhereandnow-Ourproblemworld-TodreamofvasthorizonsofthesoulThroughdreamsmadewhole,Unfettered,free-helpme!Allofyouwhoaredreamers,too,Helpmemakeourworldanew.Ireachoutmyhandstoyou.TheNegroSpeaksofRiversI'veknownrivers:I'veknownriversasancientastheworldandolderthantheflow

ofhumanbloodinhumanveins.Mysoulhasgrowndeepliketherivers.IbathedintheEuphrateswhendawnswereyoung.IbuiltmyhutneartheCongoanditlulledmetosleep.IlookedupontheNileandraisedthepyramidsaboveit.IheardthesingingoftheMississippiwhenAbeLincolnwent

downtoNewOrleans,andI'veseenitsmuddybosomturnallgoldeninthesunset.I'veknownrivers.Ancient,duskyrivers.Mysoulhasgrowndeeplikerivers.

I,TooI,too,singAmerica.Iamthedarkerbrother.TheysendmetoeatinthekitchenWhencompanycomes.ButIlaugh,Andeatwell,Andgrowstrong.To-morrowI'llsitatthetableWhencompanycomesNobody'lldareSaytome"Eatinthekitchen"Then.Besides,they'llseehowbeautifulIamAndbeashamed-I,too,amAmerica.MothertoSon(seenonvideotape)Well,son,I'lltellyou:Lifeformeain'tbennocrystalstair.It'shadtacksinit,Andsplinters,Andboardstornup,Andnocarpetonthefloor–Bare.ButallthetimeI'sbeena-climbin'on,Andreachin'landin's,Andsometimesgoin'inthedarkWherethereain'tbeennolight.Soboy,don'tyouturnback.Don'tyousetdownonthesteps'Causeyoufinditskinderhard.Don'tyoufallnow-ForI'sestillgoin',honey,I'sestillclimbin’,Andlifeformeain'tbeennocrystalstair.

LangstonHughes,photobyCarlVanVechten,TheStudioMuseum,Harlem.

CHARACTERSTHATYOUWILLMEETINOFEBONYEMBERSCOUNTEECULLEN(1903-1946)CounteeCullencamefromKentucky,butmuchofhisbackgroundremainsamystery.Hekepthisparentsidentitiessecretandneverrevealedhisbirthplace.HewasraisedinHarlembyadoptiveparents,ReverendandMrs.FrederickCullen.CounteeCullengraduatedfromNewYorkUniversityandHarvardUniversityandwonnumerousliteraryprizesincludingaGuggenheimFellowship.HispoetrywaspublishedinnationalmagazinessuchasHarper's,Century,andTheNation.HisliterarymodelsweretheEnglishRomantics.YetDoIMarvel(excerpt-seenonvideotape)IdoubtnotGodisgood,well-meaning,kind,AnddidhestooptoquibblecouldtellwhyYetdoImarvelatthiscuriousthing:Tomakeapoetblack,andbidhimsing!ForaLadyIKnowSheeventhinksthatupinheavenHerclasslieslateandsnoresWhilepoorblackcherubsriseatsevenTodocelestialchores.Heritage(excerpt)WhatisAfricatome;Coppersunorscarletsea,Junglestarorjungletrack,StrongbronzedmenorregalblackWomenfromwhoseloinsIsprangWhenthebirdsofEdensang?OnethreecenturiesremovedFromthesceneshisfathersloved,Spicygrovecinnamontree,WhatisAfricatome?

IncidentOnceridinginoldBaltimoreHeart-filled,head-filledwithglee,IsawaBaltimoreanKeeplookingstraightatme.NowIwaseightandverysmall,Andhewasnowhitbigger,AndsoIsmiled,buthepokedoutHistongueandcalledme"Nigger".IsawthewholeofBaltimoreFromMayuntilDecember;OfallthethingsthathappenedthereThat'sallthatIremember.

CounteeCullen,PhotobyCarlVanVechten.TheStudioMuseuminHarlem.

CHARACTERSTHATYOUWILLMEETINOFEBONYEMBERSCLAUDEMCKAY(1889–1948)ClaudeMcKaywasborninthehillcountryofJamaica.HepublishedtwovolumesofJamaicandialectpoetrybeforecomingtotheUnitedStateswhereheattendedcollegeinAlabamaandKansas,andfinallysettledinNewYork.Hepublishedtwomorevolumesofpoetryintheearly20's.IncreasinglyunhappywithAmericanracerelations,heleftforRussiain1922,traveledinFranceandNorthAfricaanddidnotreturntotheU.S.until1934.Hereceivednumerousprizesforhiswriting.His1919poemIfWeMustDiereceivedwideattentiononbothsidesoftheAtlantic.ItwasreadbyWinstonChurchilltoajointsessionofCongressasapleaforAmericaninterventioninWorldWarII.TheTropicsinNewYorkBananasripeandgreen,andginger-root,Cocoainpodsandalligatorpears,Andtangerinesandmangoesandgrapefruit,Fitforthehighestprizeatparishfairs,Setinthewindow,bringingmemoriesOffruit-treesladenbylow-singingrills,Anddewydawns,andmysticalblueskiesInbenedictionovernun-likehills.Myeyesgrewdim,andIcouldnomoregaze;Awaveoflongingthroughmybodyswept,And,hungryfortheold,familiarways,Iturnedasideandbowedmyheadandwept.WhenDawnComestotheCity(excerpt)Thetiredcarsgogrumblingby,Themoaning,groaning,cars,AndtheoldmilkcartsgorumblingbyUnderthesamedullstars.Outofthetenement,coldasstone,Darkfiguresstartforwork;Iwatchthemsadlyshuffleon,Tisdawn,dawninNewYork.ButIwouldbeontheislandofthesea,Intheheartoftheislandofthesea,There,oh,there!Ontheislandofthesea,TherewouldIbeatdawn.

HarlemNights(seenonvideotape-excerpt)IhearthehaltingfootstepsofalassInNegroHarlemwhenthenightletsfallitsveil.Throughthelongnightuntilthesilverbreakofdaythelittlegrayfeetknownorest.Ah,thesternharshworld,thatinthewretchedwayofpoverty,dishonoranddisgrace,Haspushedthetimidlittlefeetofclay,Thesacredbrownfeetofmyfallenrace!Ah,heartofmen,theweary,weary,feetInHarlemwanderingfromstreettostreet.

ClaudeMcKay,photobyCarlVanVechten.TheStudioMuseuminHarlem.

CHARACTERSTHATYOUWILLMEETINOFEBONYEMBERSAARONDOUGLAS(1899-1979)DouglaswasthemostprominentpainteroftheHarlemRenaissance.HeestablishedareputationasaproponentofAfricanisminmodemart.HisillustrationsandsketchesappearedinmanyliteraryjournalsandpublicationsoftheHarlemRenaissance.HejoinedthegreatBlackwritersoftheperiodininterpretingNegrolifeinspirit,formandcontent.HisrenownedmuralsintheFiskUniversityLibrary,inNashville,Tennessee,werecompletedin1930.Theyareexecutedinamoderniststyle,illustratingmythologyandthehistoryofAfrican-Americans.Hecreatedcanvases,murals,illustrationsforbooksandmagazines,showingtheprogressfromancienttomodemtimesoftheAfricanpeople.HismostfamousmuralsillustrateAfricanhistory-thenaturalworld,Egyptianenslavement,alternateworldviewsofspiritualitysuchasVoodooandSanteria,drummingandslaveships-interpretationsofNegroSpiritualsandemancipation.DouglasandhiswifeAltaknewalloftheprominentpeopleengagedintheHarlemRenaissanceandtheirapartmentat409EdgecombeAvenuewasapopulargatheringspot.

AaronDouglas,TheSchombergCenterforResearchinBlackCulture,TheNewYorkPublicLibrary.

PortraitofCouple,ManWithWalkingStick.PhotobyJamesVanDerZee,TheJamesVanDerZeeCollection.

SUGGESTEDACTIVITIESAftertheprogramaskstudentstoname:

• ThreemajorpoetsoftheHarlemRenaissance• The"fatherofBlackArt"

Topicsfordiscussion:

• TheoriginsoftheHarlemRenaissance• Whichcharactermadethebiggestimpressiononyou?Why?• Discusstheexperienceofbeingamemberofaminoritygroup.• Whatarethestruggles/advantagesofbeinganAfricanAmerican,aLatinoorAsian

American?WorldWideWebSearch:

• HarlemRenaissance• TheGreatMigration• JazzHistory• LangstonHughes• CounteeCullen• ClaudeMcKay• AaronDouglas

MapStudy:

• FindNewYorkCityonamap.• FindHarlem.• FindNewOrleans.• FindAfrica.• FindoutwhichcountriesmostAfricanAmericanscamefrom.• Makeacolumnlistofthosecountries.Inasecondcolumnwritewhatthosepeopleare

called(Ghana/Ghanaians;Senegal,Senegalese);makeathridcolumnwritesomethingforwhicheachcountryisknown(naturalresources,folkart,agriculturalproduct).

Connectingpoetrytovisualart:

• ShowstudentsToMidnightNanatLeroy'sbyAaronDouglas.Generatealistofwordsbyaskingstudentstoofferanywordorphrasethattheworkinspires.ThendiscussthelifeandworkofAaronDouglas.

• ThenshowDouglas'MaBadLuckCard.Generateaword/phraselistforthispicture.• Askstudentstocreatepoetrybasedoneitherorbothofthepictures,usingthewordlists

oronimmediatecreativeimpulse.ListeningActivity:

• PlayarecordingofmusicfromtheHarlemRenaissance.(MusicbyEubieBlake,DukeEllingtonorFatsWaller.)AskthestudentshowthemusicofHarleminthe1920'sdiffersfromthemusicthattheylistentotoday.

• ListentoshortexcerptsofEuropeanclassicalmusic,Africandrumming,aSpiritual,ragtimemusic.Discusshowtheseverydifferentstylesofmusicwereblendedtomakejazz.Askstudentstofindsimilaritiesanddifferencesamongthedifferentstyles.

OralReadingActivity:

• HavestudentsreadaloudTheNegroSpeaksofRivers.• Askstudentstofindonamaptheriversnamedinthepoem.• Askwhythepoetcitedtheseparticularrivers.• WhatdoyouknowaboutHarlem?• HowdoyouthinkitdifferstodayfromtheHarlemofthe1920's?

SponsoredinpartbytheCulturalCouncilofPalmBeachCounty,theStateofFlorida,DepartmentofState,DivisionofCulturalAffairsandtheFloridaCouncilonArtsandCulture.

MadepossiblebyfundingfromPNCArtsAlive.FundinghasbeenprovidedtotheCoreEnsemblefromtheNationalEndowmentfortheHumanitiesthroughagrantfromFloridaHumanitiesaspartofthe2020CoronavirusAid,ReliefandEconomic

Security(CARES)Actof2020.