Site hosted by Angelfire.com: Build your free website today!

CLICK Trumpet player above to Enter and View Multimedia Presentation.

CLICK Trumpet player above to Enter and View Multimedia Presentation.

Harlem Renaissance Literature and Poetry

Harlem Renaissance Male Poets

Harlem Renaissance Female Poets

Harlem Renaissance Prose Writers

HARLEM RENAISSANCE: FROM 1919-1928
Claude McKay
Zora Neale Hurston
Harlem Renaissance Art
A Decade to Remember!

Year Harlem Renaissance Figure Event Significance
1920 James Weldon Johnson Creation of NAACP He was the first Black Officer appointed to the NAACP
1923 Ethel Waters Firt Appeared on Broadway Opened the door for more Blacks to gain a crossover audiences
1925 Zora Neale Hurston Won 2nd place in Opportunity Magazine's literary contest. Became one of the most profific female writers of the Harlem Renaissance and eventually inspired contemporary author Alice Walker who erote The Color Purple
1928 Claude McKay Published A Long Way From Home. & Home to Harlemin Sprin Novel became the first novel by a Harlem writer to reach the bestseller list.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DECADE


Living to Love Harlem!

The Harlem Renaissance marked a resurge in the interest in black works. Writers,poets, painters, dancers, and musicians gave Harlem a name as the mecca for the talented black folks of the 1920s. Far and wide people moved from the deep South, from Chicago and other cities to emerge in New York's Harlem. The writers and poets of the time wrote nostalgically about Harlem. Political literature and essays emerged as essayists wanted to bring their view of the black struggle and plight to the attention of a growing nation where tensions were rising and the economy was suffering.



Reaching A Zenith: Harlem Renaissance Upsurge in Creativity
||| The Poetry ||| Discussion Forums ||| History of a Movement ||| Bibliography ||| Harlem Exhibit |||
The Zora Neale Hurston Festival revitalizes the life and works of one of the Harlem Renaissance's biggest icons, Zora Neale Hurston. When Zora was unable to pay her apartment rent, Dr. Benton, who had just completed the construction of this house, allowed Zora to move in and live rent free. Dr. Benton recognized and appreciated Zora’s talent, and assisting her was just one of many great services he performed for the community. Dr. Benton and his older daughter, Arlena, took turns dropping in on Zora, frequently taking her a plate for dinner. “She was a typical artist,” Arlena Benton Lee remembered. “When she was caught up in her work, she didn’t seem to think to cook” (Valerie Boyd, Wrapped in Rainbows: the Life of Zora Neale Hurston, 2003). Zora’s neighbors also brought her plates of food. Arlena recalled that Zora was a frequent dinner guest at the home of Dr. Benton and his family. On Sunday afternoon, Dr. Benton picked Zora up to take her to his home for dinner with his daughters, Arlena and Margaret, and his son-in-law, Julius Lee, Jr. Since Zora’s death in 1960, the Zora Neale Hurston House has been maintained privately by the Benton Family, including Clem C. Benton, Jr., Arlena Benton Lee, and Margaret A. Benton. The City of Fort Pierce and St. Lucie County thank the Benton family for their efforts on behalf of Zora and our community’s history. The Trail marker was installed with permission of the Benton Family.

The Festival is set in the small quaint town of Eatonville, Florida where Zora Neale hurston hailed from. The culture and love of the people is easily evident from the many wonderful activities.

The house is on the National Register of Historic Places and was designated a National Historic Landmark by the U.S. Department of Interior and National Park Service in 1991. In 1995, it was moved 500 feet due north from its original location at 1734 School Court, to allow for expansion of Lincoln Park Academy where Zora briefly taught in 1958.