Defining Moments: The Harlem Renaissance

by Kevin Hillstrom

Detailing the emergence and development of the cultural movement known as the Harlem Renaissance, this factual account explores the factors that transformed Harlem into the Capital of Black America in the 1920s. It explains how civil rights activism of the early 20th century made the Renaissance possible and discusses the myriad ways in which African American literature, art, and music from the era illuminated black culture and changed the course of American race relations. Biographical information is provided on leading figures involved in the movement, including civil rights philosopher W. E. B. du Bois, controversial actor and singer Paul Robeson, jazz legend Duke Ellington, and Langston Hughes, the poet laureate of the Harlem Renaissance. A primary source section presents essential documents from the period such as Hughes's famous manifesto of artistic independence, "The Negro Artist and the Racial Mountain;" dancer Frankie Manning's recollections of the glamorous Savoy Ballroom; Alain Locke's influential essay "Enter the New Negro;" and a selection of poems written by some of the movement's leading literary voices.

Genres: History

222 pages, Paperback

First published February 29, 2008

Reviews

[Shannon Maddox · Rating 1 out of 5]

This volume could have been so much better. It's essentially an overview of the Harlem Renaissance and the people involved. It seems to be comprised of unrelated articles on events of the renaissance peppered with the same list of names in each article, a section of biographical data on the names mentioned ad nauseam, and ending with a few selected works or interviews of a chosen few.

The reason I say this book could have been so much more is the presentation of the information. Hillstrom should have taken the time to meld these disjointed sections into a flowing narrative that presented the true beauty and variety of this time period, rather than turning it into various iterations of "We hate white people." It was so boring that took me several months to complete this 200 page book. I got so frustrated while reading this that I almost sent it to the "ain't nobody got time for that" list, but finished it purely out of spite.

Surely there's got to be a better literary presentation of the Harlem Renaissance than this.