Question

the harlem renaissance: 21-4
identify the following:
zora neale hurston

claude mckay

paul robeson

bessie smith

james weldon johnson

outline the following:
the move north
a.
b.
african - american goals
a.
b.

Explanation:

1. Identify the figures: Each is a key Harlem Renaissance contributor, a cultural movement of Black American art/intellect in the 1920s-30s.
2. Outline sections: "The Move North" refers to the Great Migration, and "African-American Goals" relates to the era's social/cultural aims.

Answer:

Identify the following:

1. Zora Neale Hurston: A celebrated novelist, anthropologist, and short story writer known for works like Their Eyes Were Watching God, focusing on Black Southern culture and Black womanhood.
2. Claude McKay: A Jamaican-American poet and novelist, famous for works like If We Must Die that challenged racial violence and celebrated Black identity.
3. Paul Robeson: A multi-talented singer, actor, and activist; he used his platform to advocate for racial justice and Black liberation, and performed iconic spirituals like "Ol' Man River".
4. Bessie Smith: A pioneering blues singer, known as the "Empress of the Blues"; her powerful vocals defined classic blues and influenced later American music.
5. James Weldon Johnson: A writer, civil rights activist, and composer; he wrote the poem Lift Every Voice and Sing (later a Black national anthem) and documented Black life in works like God's Trombones.

Outline the following:

The Move North

a. Drivers: Escaping racial terror, poverty, and limited economic opportunity in the Jim Crow South; seeking factory jobs in Northern industrial cities during World War I.
b. Impact: Created dense Black urban communities (like Harlem) that became the cultural hub of the Harlem Renaissance; sparked new Black social and political movements.

African-American Goals

a. Cultural Empowerment: Celebrate and center Black identity, art, and history to challenge dehumanizing racial stereotypes.
b. Social & Political Equality: Push for an end to racial segregation, lynching, and disenfranchisement; advocate for full civil rights and economic justice.