The Harlem Renaissance

Children's Literature

At the turn of the 19th century, African-Americans faced long odds as they attempted to implement the hard-earned freedoms that flowed from the Civil War. In the 1890s, thousands of Blacks were lynched in communities across the nation. Discrimination, particularly in the Southern states, was pernicious and overt. African-Americans struggled to establish their place in America, but they were given little support by state or national governmental leaders. The coming of World War I underscored the "second class" level of citizenship afforded to African-Americans. Black doughboys were segregated into all African-American units and were generally given labor-intensive assignments. Thus, it is refreshing to learn more about the cultural renaissance that occurred in the 1920s in Harlem and which spread across the nation. A creative outburst led by figures such as Lena Horne, Duke Ellington, Langston Hughes and Louis Armstrong influenced not only Black artistry but national tastes as well. The coming of the Great Depression dampened this artistic ardor but failed to crush it. It is the story of this cultural upsurge and the men and women who spearheaded it that is told in this volume of the "Black History" series. Using a potpourri approach and featuring biographical sketches, this illustrated book will introduce readers to an important chain of events in American history. 2001, ABDO, $24.21. Ages 10 to 14. Reviewer: Greg M. Romaneck