Harlem Renaissance SOCIAL JUSTICE WRITERS
ALAINE LEROY LOCKE
ZORA NEALE HURSTON
LANGSTON HUGHES
The "Father" of the Harlem Renaissance
Author of "How it Feels to be Colored Me"
Author of "The Negro Speaks of Rivers"
the writers
MEET: ALAINE LEROY LOCKE Alain LeRoy Locke became to be known as the
Racism was very prevalent during the Harlem
“Father of the Harlem Renaissance” (Britannica
Renaissance and African Americans were not
Academic). Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Locke
expected to succeed or provide anything intellectual
grew up in a cultured and cultivated home
to society. The fact that Locke was able to succeed
environment. Locke was unfortunately physically
through college really showed the achievement that
impaired due to contracting rheumatic fever in his
was made possible.
early childhood, this led to him spending most of his
Locke was more qualified than any white college
childhood indoors reading books and learning to play
professor, but due to his race he was constantly
piano and violin. In college, Locke demonstrated his
unable to teach at a white college. This example is
intelligence. He attended Harvard University and
the epitome of racism because when Black males are
completed their four- year program in just three
distinctly more qualified with intellectual training and
years. Locke had really pushed through the
academic experiences, white males will try to make
segregation and racism during his time and
them feel inferior. This experience led Alain LeRoy
eventually graduated magna cum laude in 1907. It
Locke to realize all the prejudice that surrounded him
was an amazing feat for an African American man at
and all these other Black intellectuals which led him
the time. Locke soon became a large symbol of
to promote African American culture.
African American achievement (Encyclopedia of World Biography).
THE NEW NEGRO ALAINE LEROY LOCKE 1925
Alain LeRoy Locke can be seen as a social justice warrior writer because through his literature he helped promote African American intellect and culture in a society of racist white intellects. Locke had pushed through segregation and racism, and had written his successful work The New Negro: An Interpretation in 1925. The New Negro is a collection of works from Locke himself and many other Harlem Renaissance writers such as Zora Neale Hurston. This work focused on the idea that the Negro should seek out African culture to help inspire their art. It also brought hope that one day, the Negro may not be considered inferior or a “savage” (Encyclopedia of World Biography). This was used as a way to soften racial tensions during the time period, and because of Locke’s push with the New Negro movement, white critics began to seriously take not of African American writing instead of disregarding it. African American writers saw for the first time, that they were a part of a literary movement specially to symbolize the African American culture.
"He now becomes a conscious contributor and lays aside the status of beneficiary and ward for that of a collaborator and participant in American civilization. The great social gain in this is the releasing of our talented group from the arid fields of controversy and debate to the productive fields of creative expression. The especially cultural recognition they win should in turn prove the key to that revaluation of the Negro which must precede or accompany any considerable further betterment of race relationships" (Locke).
Locke was truly inspired by the racism and prejudice he faced, especially in the work place and intellectual community, this is why he deserves to be labeled as a social justice writer because he fought for the recognition of African culture in America and he fought for the recognition of Black intellects (Encyclopedia of World Biography). In the passage Locke writes, “He now becomes a conscious contributor and lays aside the status of beneficiary and ward for that of a collaborator and participant in American civilization” which shows Locke’s ideas were to get the Black intellect to knowingly feel that they are being a contributor to the status of society. By contributing to the educated society, they are able to slowly ease tensions between races because they are going to prove that they are as educated as they think and not inferior as most thought they were.
MEET: ZORA NEALE HURSTON Another Harlem Renaissance writer who utilized
It was not until she was sent away for school in
literature as a way to defeat social inequities was
Jacksonville that she encountered a form of
Zora Neale Hurston. Hurston was born in Alabama
oppression. Prior to moving to Jacksonville,
in 1981, when her mother died when she was
Hurston believed that “white people only differed
young, Hurston joined a theatrical company which
from colored to [her] only in that they rode
led her to New York City, especially Harlem. In
through [her] town and never lived there” (Hurston
1925, Hurston earned a scholarship to Barnard
417). She developed a sense of ‘coloredness’ once
College, which was a huge accomplishment for a
she moved into a town with white people, but she
woman of color during this time (Encyclopedia
has pride in her color and she develops this identity
Britannica). Zora Neale Hurston is known for her
that although she is black, she feels proud of
essay, “How It Feels to Be Colored Me”, where she
herself. Hurston argued that, “[she] is not
recounts a time in her early life when she realized
tragically colored. There is no great sorrow
what it meant to be a black woman living in the
dammed up in [her] soul, nor lurking behind [her]
world. Hurston was born and raised in an all-black
eyes… No, [she] does not weep at the world – [she]
neighborhood where she did not grow up with
is too busy sharpening [her] oyster knife” (Hurston
much discrimination.
417).
HOW IT FEELS TO BE COLORED ME ZORA NEALE HURSTON 1928 The main point of her essay was that when she was younger she did not realize there was this separation of race in the world because she grew up in a tight knit community where she was “everybody’s Zora” (Hurston 417). As soon as she moved away, she felt the color in her emerge more, but she was not willing to let allow mere difference of her skin let other people to undermine her skills and talent. As a self-aware, self-confident black woman, Hurston did not permit how society identified her to affect who she is. It was a shame that people often remind her of her historical background, “reminding [her] that [she] is the granddaughter of slaves” (418). In a dismissive tone Hurston writes that “[i]t fails to register depression with [her]. Slavery is sixty years in the past. The operation was successful and the patient is doing well, thank you” (418). Hurston does not let the history of her race and society’s view of the outcome define who she will be in the present or future. Hurston uses the idea of oppression to realize that she must withstand anything, saying that because of slavery, blacks are viewed as inferior by society.
But because of this “inferiority,” Hurston also claims that “no one on Earth ever had a greater chance for glory. The world to be won and nothing to be lost. It is thrilling to think – to know that for any act of [hers], [she] shall get twice as much praise or twice as much blame” (418). Hurston claims that there is “nothing to be lost” because minorities are often apart of the lower class, therefore they continuously work hard
because they can only gain from their standpoint and not lose anything. When a person is viewed as inferior to others, they have more to amount to and once they accomplish something they will be met with great praise. People often expect minorities to not work hard or to not accomplish much. Therefore, when these same people who degrade minorities see a minority succeeding they either offer a tremendous amount of support or try and belittle them.
Hurston concludes her essay reading, "But in the main, I feel like a brown bag of miscellany propped against a wall. Against a wall in company with other bags, white, red and yellow. Pour out the contents, and there is discovered a jumble of small things priceless and worthless. A first-water diamond, an empty spool, bits of broken glass, lengths of string, a key to a door long since crumbled away, a rusty knife-blade, old shoes saved for a road that never was and never will be, a nail bent under the weight of things too heavy for any nail, a dried flower or two still a little fragrant. In your hand is the brown bag. On the ground before you is the jumble it held--so much like the jumble in the bags, could they be emptied, that all might be dumped in a single heap and the bags refilled without altering the content of any greatly. A bit of colored glass more or less would not matter. Perhaps that is how the Great Stuffer of Bags filled them in the first place--who knows?" (419). Hurston’s feelings towards humanity is highlighted, Hurston deserves to have the title of a social that humans can be reduced to just paper bags with justice warrior because this essay, clearly highlights miscellaneous objects in side of them. Hurston lists the racism she wanted to bring up. The essay “How the pointless contents of the bag, and that all the It Feels to Be Colored Me” shows to be a great bags could be emptied and refilled without having a example of how Hurston used her writing to really speak about the social issues that people of color great impact on the bag itself. She believes that face, especially since Hurston was a woman of although people are labeled a certain way by society, everyone is the same on the inside – not color. much to be differentiated by, similar to the contents of the bags.
MEET: LANGSTON HUGHES The third writer that played an important role in Harlem Renaissance literature was Langston Hughes, full name James Mercer Langston Hughes. Hughes was born in Joplin, Missouri in 1902. Hughes was raised by his mother and his grandmother, after his parents had separated. The death of his grandmother brought Hughes and his mom to Cleveland, Ohio - where Hughes wrote his famous Poem, "The Negro Speaks of Rivers". Hughes often put the theme of African American experience into his writing. (Encyclopædia Britannica).
The Negro Speaks of Rivers The poem is about four rivers, the Euphrates
African kingdoms that were built surrounding the
river, the Congo river, the Nile river and the
river. By alluding to the African culture and its
Mississippi river. These four rivers all have roots
history, Hughes’ poem really ties into bringing
within the African American culture.
back African culture, which is something that Locke really advocated for. The allusion to
Langston Hughes writes,
Abraham Lincoln, brings back the ideas of slavery
I bathed in the Euphrates when dawns were
and the Civil War, and how African Americans
young.
were constantly seen as inferior.
I built my hut near the Congo and it lulled me to
Langston Hughes was such an influential writer,
sleep.
he deserves to be known as a social justice writer.
I looked upon the Nile and raised the pyramids
Hughes writing focuses on the idea of the “Back
above it.
to Africa” movement, although he didn’t know
I heard the singing of the Mississippi when Abe
what contribution he would make to society as he
Lincoln went down to New Orleans, and I’ve seen
wrote The Negro Speaks of Rivers, it surely has a
its muddy bosom turn all golden in the sunset
long-lasting impact until today. Hughes ashes are
(Hughes).
even under Rivers, which is an art installation in the Schomburg Center for Research in Black
The mention of the Euphrates river is alluding to
Culture. This art installation pays tribute to the
the beginning of civilization, which really starts
tradition of African ritual ground markings, and
the beginnings of black culture. By mentioning
shows a connection between people of diverse
the Congo river, Hughes is really alluding to the
cultures (Langston Hughes Lobby).
successful
Langston Hughes House Not only will Langston Hughes’ legacy live in the Schomburg, but also in the Langston Hughes House. The non-profit organization I, Too Arts Collective has leased the brownstone where Hughes lived and created during his last years of life. Through this, the hope to keep his home open and provide a program for writers from under-represented communities (i, Too, Arts Collective). This just shows the impact of the writers from the Harlem Renaissance were. All in all, the writers that would be known as the social justice writers of the Harlem Renaissance would be, Alain LeRoy Locke, Zora Neale Hurston, and Langston Hughes. These individual writers have written pieces that have covered themes such as the “New Negro Movement”, “Back to Africa Movement”, sexism and racism. These writers have taken literature as a way to express themselves and produce art for the Harlem Renaissance.
Works Cited “About Us.” i, Too, Arts Collective, www.itooarts.com/. “Alain LeRoy Locke.” The Journal of Negro History, vol. 39, no. 4, 1954, pp. 332– 334. JSTOR, JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/2715412. "Alain Locke." Encyclopedia of World Biography, 2nd ed., vol. 9, Gale, 2004, pp. 475-478. Gale Virtual Reference Library, http://link.galegroup.com.remote.baruch.cuny.edu/apps/doc/CX3404703939/GVR L?u=cuny_baruch&sid=GVRL&xid=286723e8. Accessed 17 Apr. 2018. Alain Locke, “Enter the New Negro,” Survey Graphic, Vol. 6, No. 6 (March 1925): 631-634. Cannon, Byron. "Harlem Renaissance." The Twenties in America, edited by Carl Rollyson, vol. 2, Salem Press, 2012, pp. 383-386. Gale Virtual Reference Library, http://link.galegroup.com.remote.baruch.cuny.edu/apps/doc/CX2075500294/GV RL?u=cuny_baruch&sid=GVRL&xid=196f19a4. Accessed 17 Apr. 2018. "Harlem Renaissance." Britannica Academic, Encyclopædia Britannica, 15 Dec. 2017. academic-eb-com.remote.baruch.cuny.edu/levels/collegiate/article/HarlemRenaissance/39283. Accessed 17 Apr. 2018. Hurston, Zora Neale. “How It Feels to Be Colored Me.” pp. 416–419. “Langston Hughes Lobby.” Nypl.org, www.nypl.org/langston-hughes-atrium. Osofsky, Gilbert. Harlem: The Making of a Ghetto Negro New York, 1890-1930. Ivan R. Dee, 1996.
Photos Cited (In Order of Appearance)
Eisenstaedt, Alfred. Alain LeRoy Locke. Digital image. World History. N.p., 21 Feb. 2017. Web. 21 May 2018. <https://worldhistory.us/american-history/blackhistory-month-spotlight-on-alain-l-locke.php>. Hopkinson, Natalie. Zora Neale Hurston. Digital image. Huffpost. N.p., 27 Apr. 2018. Web. 21 May 2018. <https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/opinionhopkinson-zora-hurston-book-slavery_us_5ae1e851e4b055fd7fc9481a>. Vechten, Carl Van. Langston Hughes circa 1936. Digital image. Wikipedia Commons. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 May 2018. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Langston_Hughes>. Typewriter. Digital image. Canva. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 May 2018. Locke, Alaine LeRoy. The New Negro. Digital image. Amazon. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 May 2018. <https://www.amazon.com/New-Negro-Voices-HarlemRenaissance/dp/0684838311>. Vechten, Carl Van. Zora Neale Hurston circa 1938. Digital image. Wikipedia Commons. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 May 2018. How It Feels to be Colored Me. Digital image. Amazon. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 May 2018. Langston Hughes via Getty Images. Digital image. The Biography.com Website. N.p., 18 Jan. 2018. Web. 21 May 2018. <https://www.biography.com/people/langston-hughes-9346313>. Long, Heather. Langston Hughes House. Digital image. Amsterdam News. N.p., 09 Aug. 2016. Web. 17 May 2018.