Reading the Harlem Renaissance into Public Policy: Lessons from the Past to the Present
In the 1920s, such writers as Countee Cullen, Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, and Claude McKay shared a literary moment, a moment that would eventually develop into a profound cultural and artistic expression, a decade of prominent and expressive publications by African Americans, the Harlem Re...
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| Published in: | Afro-Americans in New York life and history 2012-07, Vol.36 (2), p.7-36 |
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| Main Authors: | , , |
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | eng |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | Get full text |
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| Summary: | In the 1920s, such writers as Countee Cullen, Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, and Claude McKay shared a literary moment, a moment that would eventually develop into a profound cultural and artistic expression, a decade of prominent and expressive publications by African Americans, the Harlem Renaissance. This period is a product of African American culture and history, "the irresistible impulse of blacks to create boldly expressive art of a high quality as a primary response to their social conditions, as an affirmation of their dignity and humanity in the face of poverty and racism." This article focuses on key themes that dominated this time period, hope and oppression, urban neighborhood-ghetto, embracing blackness, and social and political equality. More importantly, this writing will highlight the ways in which the literature of the Harlem Renaissance speaks to the social problems in the African American community today. This article will also focus on the lessons the authors have learned from teaching the works in the academic classroom and how those lessons can be applied to different scenarios. |
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| ISSN: | 0364-2437 |