Essayists and Non-fictional writers during the Harlem Renaissance.

1. By: Blake, Andrew, Manuel, Kiahna
HARLEM RENAISSANCE
ESSAYISTS & NON-FICTION

2. What Is It?
 Harlem Renaissance was a cultural
movement during the 1920’s & 1930’s.
(Also known as the “New Negro
Movement”)
 Alain Locke gave it this name after
the 1925 anthology.
 It was a movement by African
Americans to be free from slavery
and emancipated, which means to
make their own choices.

3. Countee Cullen
 1903-1946
 Raised in New York City
 Countee’s first novel consisted of novels
called Color.
 Attended New York University in 1923.
 Later attended Harvard in 1925, and
graduated in 1926 with a Masters degree
in English.

4. Zora Neale Hurston
 1891-1960
 Her most admired novel was Their Eyes
Were Watching God.
 Entered Howard University in 1918.
 Joined Zeta Phi Beta, and helped found the
University’s newspaper.
 Offered a scholarship to Banard College in
1925, and earned a degree in anthropology.

5. Jean Toomer
 1894-1967
 Born in Washington, D.C.
 For many, the Literary Renaissance in Harlem
began in 1923 with the publication of
Toomer’s first book, Cane.
 Cane is the only one major work that he wrote.
 Today, Toomer is recognized as one of the
most talented figures of the Harlem
Renaissance.

6. Langston Hughes
 1902-1967
 Served as a crewman aboard the S.S.
Malone in 1923.
 Attended Columbia University in 1921,
then left in 1922 because of racial
prejudice.
 Died from complications after abdominal
surgery, related to prostate cancer.
 His ashes are interred beneath a floor
medallion in the Arthur Schomburg Center
for Research in Black Culture.

7. Medallion in Arthur Schomburg
Center

8. Alain Locke
 1886-1954
 In 1907, Locke graduated from
Harvard University with degrees in
both English and philosophy.
 One of Locke’s more famous books
was Locke’s Philosophy: Philosophic
Values and World Citizenship.
 Has been said to have greatly
influenced and encouraged Zora Neale
Hurston.

9. QUIZ
1. What was another name for the Harlem
Renaissance?
2. Where was Countee Cullen raised?
3. What was the title of Jean Toomer’s first book?
4. While at Banard College, Zora Neale Hurston
earned a degree in what?
5. Langston Hughes left Colombia University
because of what?
6. What college did Alain Locke graduate from?

10. ANSWERS
1. “New Negro Movement”
2. New York City
3. Cane
4. Anthropology
5. Racial prejudice
6. Harvard University