part of the Steven Watson file.
Pittsburgh Catholic Newspaper - News and FeaturesEllen Tarry one of few living links to Harlem Renaissance
Never before in the history of the United States has there been such an explosion of creative works by African-American writers than in the period of American literature known as the Harlem Renaissance (1917-1930).
In the span of a mere decade, black poets, novelists and writers of all kinds would claim their place in the annals of American literature.
Names such as Langston Hughes, Waring Cuney, Arna Bontemps, Zora Neale Hurston, Countee Cullen, Jean Toomer, Frank Horne, Gwendolyn Bennet, Claude McKay and many others were at the center of a literary phenomenon among African-American writers born around the turn of the 20th century.
As Steven Watson wrote in his book “The Harlem Renaissance — Hub of African-American Culture,” these authors were charged with not only excelling to new creative heights, but uplifting the plight of blacks in America as well. It was a mission they by no means took lightly.
“They were not the first noteworthy black writers in America ... but these younger writers constituted the first self-conscious black literary constellation in American history. The most effective strategy for race building depended on art and literature, so a dual mission was thrust upon these writers. They were simultaneously charged with creating art and with bolstering the image of their race,” wrote Watson. Their mission, so to speak, would influence the next generation of American black writers as well, notably Richard Wright, author of “Native Son.”
