The Harlem Renaissance

1
The Harlem Renaissance

• By Matthew Santos
• Brianna Robinson
• Jeniah Smith

2
The Harlem Renaissance All Stars

• The Harlem Renaissance was a period in the
  19020s when African-American achievements in art
  and music and literature flourished.
• Gwendolyn Bennett - Was a writer and artist, she
  played an active role in the African-American art
  community for over 20 years.
• Countee Cullen - Was the leading writer of the
  Harlem Renaissance.
• Langston Hughes - Was the first African-American
  author to support himself through his writing and
  poetry he produced more than 60 Books and Poems.
• Zora Neale Hurston - Who has undergone revival in
  the last 25 years, celebrated the courage and the
  struggle of African-Americans in the rural south
  in the early years of the past century

3
Countee Cullen

• Countee Cullen Was Born by the name of Countee
  LeRoy Porter on May 20, 1903 and was abandoned by
  his parents at birth. He was raised by his
  grandmother, Mrs. Porter. Countee did not know
  where he was born. Skeptics claimed he was born
  in Baltimore, but later in his life Cullen said
  he was born in New York City. While he was an
  undergraduate, he published works in various
  literary magazines, including Harpers Century
  Magazine. Countee Died unexpectedly on January
  9, 1946 of poisoning.

• COLOR was his most famous novel which he released
  in 1925
• The Novels message was that He needed help
  so he turned to god and he made it through life
  even though there were many obstacles thrown at
  him and put in his way.

4
Langston Hughes

• Langston Hughes began writing in high school, and
  even at his early age was developing the voice
  that made him famous. He was born in Joplin,
  Missouri, but lived with his grandmother in
  Lawrence, Kansas until he was thirteen and then
  with his mother in Lincoln, Illinois and
  Cleveland, Ohio where he went to high school.
  When Langstons grandmother died, his mother
  summoned him to her home in Lincoln, Illinois.
  Here, according to Hughes, He wrote his first
  verse and was named class poet of his 8th grade
  class. After he graduated high school, Hughes
  planned to Go to Mexico to visit with his father,
  in order to try to convince him that he should
  pay for his sons college education at Columbia
  University in New York City. At Columbia, Hughes
  thought he could get a college education but also
  begin his career as a writer.

• Dream Deferred
• What Happens To A Dream Deferred?
• Does It Dry Up
• Like A Raisin In The Sun?
• Or fester Like A Sore
• And Then Run?
• Does It Stink Like Rotten Meat
• Or crust and Sugar Over-
• Like A Syrupy Sweet?
• Maybe It Just Sags
• Like A Heavy Load
• Or Does It Explode?
• This poem means that a dream has been ignored or
  not followed and it leads to depression or
  emptiness.

5
Aaron Douglas

• Aaron Douglas was born in Topeka, Kansas on May
  26, 1899. He developed an interest for art
  during his childhood and was encouraged to
  pursuit by his mother. He graduated high school
  in 1917. He received his B.A. degree from the
  University of Nebraska in 1922. In 1939 he moved
  to Nashville, Tennessee, where he founded the Art
  Department at Fisk University and taught for 27
  years. Aaron Douglas has been called the father
  of African-American art.

• One of his most famous paintings was Idylls Of
  The Deep South made in 1934. The painting
  subverts the m for the myth of the happy
  southern plantation negro. The theme is cheerful
  African-Americans singing, dancing and playing
  music.

6
The Two Most Influential People

• Langston Hughes
• - I feel Langston Hughes was one of the most
  influential people in the Harlem Renaissance
  because he helped with establishing
  African-American pride with his literature.

• Countee Cullen
• - I that Countee Cullen was one of the most
  influential people in the Harlem Renaissance
  because he went through many struggles in life
  but he continued to stay in school and follow his
  passion and ended up being a very productive
  writer.

7
Langston Hughes

• Matthew Santos
• Presented A Dream Deferred.

8
Countee Cullen

• Brianna Robinson
• Summarized his books major themes and message.

9
Aaron Douglas

• Jeniah Smith
• Presented a famous painting and discussed the
  paintings message and connection to African
  American rights.