In / would have been obvious choices for consideration. The In his recentbook HumanAccomplishment: the only black writerwho succeededin enterfact, Pursuitof Excellencein theArts and Sciences, 800 ing Bloom's canon was FrederickDouglass, who used a similartacticto was included for his work Narrativeof the Life of B.C. to 1950, Charles Murray Bloom's to avoid having to make the tough choices FrederickDouglass, an AmericanSlave. Bloom did of includingblacks and other minoritiesamong concede that works by black authors Richard Bloom Harold his importantpeople. In selecting great names Wright,RalphEllison, ZoraNeale Hurston,Toni Sterling Professor the of Morrison,and several others might one day be Humanities YaleUniversityfrom the arts and sciences, Murraychose only at those figures in history who were born priorto considered as part of the literarycanon if they to withstandthe test of time.
In the late 1920s Zora studied at Barnard College where she became famous for the attempt to disprove a theory that black people had smaller brains .She actually stood on a street corner measuring the heads of black people (Wall 22)! A strikingly gifted storyteller who captivated her listeners, Hurston’s writings sparkled with colorful language and comic or tragic stories from the
Charles Chesnutt: A Literary Pioneer of the 19th Century Charles Chesnutt was born in Cleveland, Ohio and at the age of nine moved to Fayetteville, North Carolina. Chesnutt was a mix of African American and European ancestry but chose to identify with the African American heritage. He never acknowledged himself to be white however he was light skinned enough that he could have passed for a white man. Charles Chesnutt was a considered literary pioneer for his time. His stories were about the trials and tribulations of characters dealing with difficult issues of being identified as mixed race, ”passing”, illegitimacy, racial identities and social place throughout his career.
Even thought there was not much more opportunity in the North, at least there was racial tolerance, something the African Americans of the South were craving. When the Harlem Renaissance started, many prominent figures emerged from the myriad of writers, thinkers, artists, and musicians of the time. W.E.B Du Bois was an African American thinker and sociologist, who was very prominent in the Harlem Renaissance. He was at the forefront of the civil rights movement during this time and helped create the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) (“W.E.B Du Bois”). Another famous figure of the Harlem Renaissance was Langston Hughes.
Most of his writings describe the troubles and drama of being a black person in America. A lot of his work also had deep religious undertones, and dealt with topics such as Homosexuality, Racism, Classism and Religion. To this very day James Baldwin is revered as one of America’s greatest writers, and essayists. He is and will always be an American Icon, and Hero. Discussion James Arthur Baldwin, was born Out-Of-Wedlock in Harlem Hospital on the 2nd of August 1924.
Until the dawn of the 20th century the pale-skinned poets and their rose-tinted interpretation of the world dominated the whimsical world of literature. But the fiery uprising of the Harlem Renaissance in the early 1920’s shook America to its core. Fortified black voices broke out across the nation, effectively using rhythms and cadences so clearly defined by the African-American culture, but the soulful voice that rose above the rest was the voice of Langston Hughes. The poetry that Hughes crafted was filled with sensual rhythms and beats. His stanzas united the beautiful simplicity of blues and jazz music with the heart rendering soulful cries of a race defined by oppression.
“The Souls of Black Folk” Review Written by the popular civil rights activist W.E.B Du Bois, The Souls of Black Folk is a series of essays and sketches that proposes the "the problem of the Twentieth Century as the problem of the color-line” and describes “double consciousness”, that is, seeing oneself not only through his or her own eyes but from the perspective of others as well. Throughout the writing, Du Bois is constantly addressing the progression of blacks since the abolishment of slavery, the future of blacks, and the obstacles that must be overcome in order to obtain that future. When compared to the lives of other African Americans during this time period, Du Bois had an advantage in that he was born in the free northern community of Great Barrington, Massachusetts in 1868, where he was treated as an equal and encouraged to pursue his intellectual interests. As a result, he was able to achieve a high level of education, this being a doctorate at Harvard College, which he was was the first African American to receive. His experience with academic studies led him to believe that he could use his knowledge to empower African Americans, and in 1897, he became a professor of history, sociology, and economics at Atlanta University.
“I have learned that success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has had to overcome while trying to succeed.” This was the statement Booker T. Washington lived and died by. He was one of the most relevant African American leaders. His works of literature are still able to be applied to modern day America. Works Cited n.d. McMillan, Peter. http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk.
“AMERICA” by Claude McKay Amanda Zacek 2-21-2012 Claude McKay is trying to show America that he as well as all other African Americans are just as capable to do great things as white people ,if given the chance to prove themselves, In the poem “America” by Claude McKay, he tries to describe the difficultly for most African Americans to live in a country filled with racism. While Claude loves America he believes that time is being wasted because many black people can do great things for this country. That this culture does not allow African Americans to prosper, Claude wrote this poem during the Harlem Renaissance, it was how he experienced racism. Harlem was the largest black community in the 1930’s in America. His whole goal of writing the poem was to destroy race prejudice.
The New Negro term included “violent resistance to oppression and the conservative anti-protest orientation of Booker T. Washington.” (Ferguson, 3) Writers had a big influence on the community throughout newspapers, magazines, etc; and most writers believe d that the New Negro should exemplify creativity, independence, strength, power, equality, and improvement. Creativity was more so a huge part of the Harlem Renaissance all together but the New Negro was all a part of that. Being creative and artistic became more common in the African American community, and was more widely accepted. Black people were not as “shy” or “scared” to show their talent and artistic self expression. Alain Locke said in his foreword to the New Negro (1925) America seeking a new spiritual expansion and artistic maturity, trying to find an American literature, a natural art, and natural music implies a Negro-American culture seeking the same satisfactions and objectives.