When Harlem Was in Vogue

by David Levering Lewis

The decade and a half that followed World War I was a time of tremendous optimism in Harlem. It was a time when Langston Hughes, Eubie Blake, Marcus Garvey, Zora Neale Hurston, Paul Robeson, and countless others made their indelible mark on the landscape of American culture: African Americans made their first appearances on Broadway; chic supper clubs opened on Harlem streets, their whites-only audiences in search of the ultimate 'primitive' experience; riotous rent parties kept economic realties at the bay while the rich and famous of both races outdid each other with elegant, integrated soirees. David Levering Lewis makes us feel the excitement of the times as he recaptures the intoxicating hope that black Americans could now create important art--and so at last compel the nation to recognize their equality.

In his new preface, the author reconsiders the Harlem Renaissance in light of criticism surrounding the exploitation of the black community. For, as he point out, 'speculations about molded the Harlem Renaissance and who found it most beneficial, as well as what it symbolized and what it actually achieved, raise questions about race relations, class hegemony, cultural assimilation, generation-gender-lifestyle tensions, and art propaganda.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, African American, Race, Art, Cultural, The United States Of America

448 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1981

About the author

David Levering Lewis is the Julius Silver University Professor and Professor of History Emeritus at New York University.

Reviews

[Melanie THEE Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve finally finished this well-written and informative book (the problem was the small print, I swear 😭) A great read for anyone fascinated by the art that was created during the Harlem Renaissance. While at times long winded (I wished he focused more on a few key players than trying to add as many names as possible) this book painted a vivid picture of the community that was built during this time period.


Also, please don’t skip the pictures in this one. The drip was immaculate back in the day 💅🏽 🔥

[Raquel · Rating 2 out of 5]

«Cada libro, obra de teatro, poema o lienzo realizado por un afroamericano podía convertirse en un arma contra los viejos estereotipos raciales.»

Reseña en español | Review in English (below)

El Renacimiento de Harlem fue un movimiento de renacer intelectual y cultural de la cultura afroamericana (arte, literatura, música, moda…) centrado en el barrio de Harlem, que abarcó las décadas de 1920 y 1930. David Levering Lewis traza una visión general del movimiento en Cuando Harlem estaba de moda *, pero es quizá una visión un poco dispersa y serpenteante con la enumeración de demasiados nombres, asociaciones, lugares y fechas, en la que es difícil seguir la pista de los protagonistas clave. Como destaca el autor en el prólogo, desde sus inicios en 1919 "hasta su balbuceante final en 1934", sus objetivos raciales y políticos permanecieron constantes. Eso sí, el Renacimiento del Nuevo Negro fue también una "respuesta elitista de un grupo formado mayoritariamente por afroamericanos universitarios de segunda generación y en general acaudalados".

«A la mayor parte de los afroamericanos, nada les habría parecido tan extravagante e impracticable para mejorar la situación racial que escribir poesía o dedicarse a pintar.»

Aunque he aprendido muchísimo con la lectura de Cuando Harlem estaba de moda, es un libro que requiere concentración por ser un escrito muy detallado pero que, en ocasiones, se queda un poco descafeinado y llega a ser incluso tedioso. He echado de menos más interés en artistas pintores y escultores afroamericanos del periodo; y es que el autor se centra, particularmente, en el movimiento literario y "los seis" –Fauset, Johnson, Locke, White, Holstein y Weldon Johnson– que ayudaron a que la producción harlemita fuese mucho más cuantiosa e influyente. También se dan algunas pinceladas sobre el mundo del teatro y obras de Broadway, así como la cultura del jazz y la explosión de las fiestas y música en vivo en cabarets y bares nocturnos en los que, curiosamente, se fue prohibiendo la entrada a personas afroamericanas cuando eran la mayoría de la población del barrio. Mis partes favoritas han sido las tangentes al movimiento, cuando el autor se centra en sociología, cultura o incluso sobre religiones (Father Divine o los judíos negros).

Cuando Harlem estaba de moda es un ensayo histórico muy interesante sobre ese movimiento cultural –cómo nace y se desarrolla, las claves de las obras literarias escritas, y también las disputas internas entre sus miembros–, pero creo que aportará más a los lectores que ya estén bastante familiarizados con los protagonistas y obras de los que se hablan.

«Sabían que no ser blanco en Norteamérica significaba ser algo menos que humano. Reconocían que, en función de las leyes del Sur y de las costumbres del Norte, la distinción fundamental que la mayoría de los blancos establecía era entre afroamericanos buenos y afroamericanos malos.»

*He leído la edición española, con traducción de Javier Lucini, publicada por ediciones del oriente y del mediterráneo. Al estar mal catalogada en Goodreads, he decidido hacer la reseña de la edición original americana.
- - - -
The Harlem Renaissance was an intellectual and cultural revival of African-American culture (art, literature, music, fashion, etc.) centred in Harlem spanning the 1920s and 1930s. David Levering Lewis outlines an overview of the movement in When Harlem Was in Vogue ; but it is perhaps a somewhat scattered and meandering view with a detailed list of too many names, associations, places and dates, and in which it is difficult to keep track of the key players. As the author points out in the prologue, from its inception in 1919 "to its stuttering end in 1934," its racial and political goals remained constant. Of course, the New Negro Movement was also an "elitist answer from a group made up mostly of second-generation college-bound African-Americans, and generally wealthy."

Although I have learnt a lot from reading When Harlem Was in Vogue, it is a book that requires concentration for its highly detailed writing but that, at times, becomes watered-down and even tedious. I have missed the writer had not paid much attention to African-American artists, painters and sculptors. The fact is that the author focuses specifically on the literary movement and "the six" –Fauset, Johnson, Locke, White, Holstein and Weldon Johnson– who helped make the harlemite production larger and influential. There is also some insight into theatre and Broadway plays, as well as jazz culture and the burst of parties and live music in cabarets and nightclubs –in which, oddly enough, African-Americans were banned from entering when they were the majority of the population of the neighbourhood–. My favourite parts were those when the author focuses on side subjects to the movement: on sociology, culture or even on religions (with the "anecdotes" of Father Divine or the black Jews).

When Harlem Was in Vogue is an interesting historical essay on the Harlem Renaissance –its origins, the keys to the literary works published, and also the in-fightings within its members–, but I think it will be more stimulating to readers who are already quite familiar with the protagonists and works discussed.

[Stephen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too many names, places and dates; difficult to keep track of the key players in the Harlem Renaissance. Not enough information about painters and sculptors.

[Gwen Lester-Cunningham · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very informative and entertaining book. Well written and interesting. As a Harlem Renaissance buff, I found it quite satisfying.

[Kareem M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was inspirational and makes me wonder where my people will go. So much talent, let's focus...

[Ari · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The Depression accelerated a failure that was inevitable, for the Harlem Renaissance could no more have succeeded as a positive social force, whatever the health of Wall Street, than its participants could have been persuaded to try a different stratagem of racial advancement." 305

The Harlem Renaissance has fascinated me since I was a little girl and I think I've come full circle now that I've read one of the most widely-cited books on the time period. I took an English class in college on the time period so I was familiar with most of the writers and works mentioned but I wanted to learn more about the lives of the movers and shakers during this period and in that regard this book did not disappoint. Lewis focuses on "The Six" figures the most; Jean Toomer, Wallace Thurman, Countee Cullen, Langston Hughes, Nella Larsen and Zora Neale Hurston and they embody the various strains of thought during the Harlem Renaissance come alive. Some fully embraced the Harlem Renaissance while others chose not to live in Harlem or a la Jean Toomer produced a seminal work of the time and then wanted nothing to do with the movement. Lewis argues that the main goal of the Harlem Renaissance failed (as evidenced by my chosen quote) that a focus on the arts and literature was not enough to change the way white America viewed Black people. The strategy of those who dubbed it the Harlem Renaissance and helped usher it in was not something I had considered before and thus I appreciated this new way of analyzing the Harlem Renaissance. Propaganda did not work.

Lewis doesn't just focus on the Black voices of the time but also notes which white allies were sincere (viewed the works as talented and done by people who happened to be Black) versus fascinated by the "exotic" nature of the artistic Black community (to my relief Dorothy Parker fell into the former camp). He covers not only the artists and writers but also the economic realities of the time, the parties, the activists and the political reality of the day. It ends up being a history of Harlem in the 1920s and 1930s. Lewis even touches briefly on the immediate generation of Black writers after those of the Harlem Renaissance (Richard Wright, Ralph Ellison). I think the best thing to do is to continue to teach students about the Harlem Renaissance and have them read a few of the revolutionary works, to keep alive the legacy of the Harlem Renaissance and resurrect many of the artists and writers who fell into obscurity after their death (or are only known by academics who study the period today).

Bought at Capitol Hill Books, my favorite DC bookstore

[Matt Sautman · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Harlem Was in Vogue may have some oversight regarding women during the Harlem Renaissance as well as the gay presence in the movement, but this book does a great job breaking down both the periods that make up the Harlem Renaissance and the ways various people contributed to the movement. The readability of the book does improve based on previous familiarity with the people discussed in the book. Otherwise, I can see the book being a bit dense.

["KayFey" · Rating 3 out of 5]

When in Harlem, do as Harlemites do! I can't begin to say enough about this book and how it helped in my research for my own book. Levering Lewis uses a conversational tone, affecting the reader to forget this is an academic book, a reference book for a time lost but still very much alive and vibrant.

[William · Rating 5 out of 5]

Always love to reread books that I read in college (this is one of my favorites). This is a must read for those of us that are patrons of the finer things in life (art, music, et cetera...). You will not be disappointed.

[ISRA · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don’t know if it’s because of when the book was written but the text is dense and dry. Of the 9 chapters I really only found 3 engaging and fluid. It took reading the second and third chapter to understand the first chapter’s significance or tie into the overall plot. There was a bit too much name dropping at times making the sentences challenging to read as anything other than attendance lists.
There was no mention of colorism in terms of blue veil society or even just colorism bluntly but most of the 6 were fairer skinned - I didn’t find them likable. I really only liked the parts illuminating their perception of Zora Neale Hurston who they treated as a wild card.

[Emma Strawbridge · Rating 2 out of 5]

this took me forever to finish and it was only ok. it would be a well written accompaniment to a course on the harlem renaissance but on its own just had too much information for me. each chapter went through mini biographies of five or six important people to know but i had lots of trouble keeping track of them and the time progression. i think i would have preferred a more general description of the time than how specific this one was.

[AC]

The introduction and preface set out nicely the terms of the debate about the New Negro arts and literary movement of the 1920’s (actually, 1919-1935). The bulk of the book is then a detailed 300-page text focusing on the social context/history/personalities of the Harlem Renaissance, with another 60 dense pages of reference notes.

[Staci Taylor · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Harlem Renaissance became a widely known cultural phenomenon and a real way out for African Americans to express themselves without shame and instead with dignity and self-respect, breaking color lines and stereotypes. The optimistic atmosphere and industrial boom between 1923 and 1928 had given many African Americans a glimpse at a better life and confirmed W. E. B. Du Bois’s prediction that migration would aid advancement in civil justice and progress. Even though the Harlem Renaissance helped progress modernity, there were extreme repercussions that brought about nativism and xenophobia, the KKK, and prohibition and with the Great Depression all efforts of progress were halted. Still, the period became a moment of hope and institution building. Some notary literary figures brought about inspiration, such as Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, & Countee Cullin who really encouraged other blacks to get involved in their cultural heritage and show the whites that they were just as capable of making the same beautiful culture, literature, music, art, and any other creative outburst.

[₵oincidental Ðandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A penetrating study of Afro-American culture (the Harlem Renaissance in particular), racial prejudice & struggles. Although not exactly an 'easy read,' One must commend the author, Mr. Levering-Lewis, for the intense research necessary to write such a compelling (& beautifully-written) book.

For anyone seriously interested in the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s (along with the early foundations of the Civil Rights Movement), they will find all the characters responsible for its creation - the authors, poets, artists & performers - (& more) here.

[Roger Mckenzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a superb study of the origins and development of the period known as the Harlem Renaissance. It sets this important period within its proper historical and political context and is not afraid to highlight the shortcomings of key figures and the inevitability of the end of the Renaissance. I highly recommend this tremendously well written book.

[Acacia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fine as a narrative. I don't like histories that don't provide a sort of outline at the outset, letting you know where the author is going.

[Charles · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really good look at the history of Harlem, which has had a lot more influence on American culture than is often understood.

[Frank · Rating 3 out of 5]

A remarkably detailed but also rather tedious overview of the Harlem Renaissance.

[Dylan Suher · Rating 2 out of 5]

Comprehensive, decent pop-history, although also quite scattershot and meandering. Overemphasizes the importance of formal associations and linkages, underemphasizes informal relationships.

[Ashley Adams · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nonfiction look at the Harlem neighborhood and its entertainment industry after the Great Immigration. Solid reference.

[Nancy · Rating 2 out of 5]

JUNE

by David Levering Lewis (no photo)

Finish date: 15 June 2022
Genre: nonfiction
Rating: D-

Bad news:
Scope is too broad….too much trivial info and not enough analysis.
Some chapters were just “laundry lists” of
who ’s who in Harlem’s literature, music and theatre scene.

60 % of the book is about….
NAACP
National Urban League
Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters (BSCP) (labor union)
…their leaders and publications.
The Crisis (NAACP, editor W.E.B. DuBois) and
Opportunity (NUL, editor Charles S. Johnson) and
The Messenger (labor union editor, Philip Randolph)

40 %…
long biographical chapters of writers and decision makers in Harlem Renaissance (read wikipedia and learn the essence)
detailed reviews about books that were important in 1920s
…but loose their impact 100 years later! (just not very interesting)

Bad news:
Author D.L. Lewis is a 2 x Pulitzer Price winner for biography
…but I did not feel this book was of such literary quality.
Chapters felt like they were collected from other
publications/books by Mr. Lewis. The book felt disjointed.

Good news:
Learned about “The Six” who shaped and promoted the Harlem Renaissance movement.
C. Cullen, WEB DuBois, Ms. Jessie Faucet, Langston Hughes, Ethel Nance and Regina Anderson.
Listened to jazz musicians (Sidney Bechet, clarinet)…new to me!

Personal:
I had high hopes for this book….but it was not worth the hours I spent reading it. It felt like an info dump. After 50% of the book... I decided to read about the person/book/music on Wikipedia then skimmed the chapters.
Would I recommend the book? NO.

by Les Payne (no photo) The Dead (2020) gave me a MUCH better sense of Harlem than in D. Lewis’s book. I recommend Les Payne’s 2021 Pulitzer Prize winning biography ….great read! Pulitzer Prize Biography 2021

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read Nathan Irvin Huggins' history of the Harlem Renaissance earlier this year. As much as I loved Huggins' analysis of the big trends and authors, Lewis' history gives the reader a better and more in-depth sense of the chronology, social scene, and personalities from 1918 to 1935. Like Huggins, he is able to combine appreciation of the movement with critical evaluations of its accomplishments and failures.

[Steven · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dense reading into the story of the Harlem Renaissance. While at times the writing veers off course with side trips and the writing is dense in nearly hard to read times, it’s hard not to find so much in this telling. It invites the readers to search out more detailed stories of each of the players as I know I will.

[Naomi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book and very informational about the Harlem Renaissance. I wish the format of information was different though and that the author didn't include the names of so many organizations.

[Rasheed Newson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book gives you an overview of a vibrant time in Black history. Brimming with detail, it is the collective story of proud, stylish, daring people. I enjoyed the education.

[Karen]

Understanding Oppression: African American Rights (Then and Now)