Book Description
AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY COMES TO LIFE

Discover why young people all over the country are reading the Black Stars biographies of African American heroes. Here is what you want to know about the lives of great black men and women during the fabulous Harlem Renaissance:

louis "satchmo" armstrong
eubie blake
thomas andrew dorsey
w. e. b. du bois
duke ellington
james reese europe
jessie redmon fauset
marcus garvey
w. c. handy
fletcher henderson
langston hughes
zora neale hurston
hall johnson
henry johnson
oscar micheaux
philip payton jr.
gertrude "ma" rainey
paul robeson
augusta savage
noble sissle
bessie smith
james van der zee
dorothy west
carter g. woodson

"The books in the Black Stars series are the types of books that would have really captivated me as a kid."
-Earl G. Graves, Black Enterprise magazine

"Inspiring stories that demonstrate what can happen when ingenuity and tenacity are paired with courage and hard work."
-Black Books Galore! Guide to Great African American Children's Books

"Haskins has chosen his subjects well . . . catching a sense of the enormous obstacles they had to overcome. . . .Some names are familiar, but most are little-known whom Haskins elevates to their rightful place in history."
-Booklist

"The broad coverage makes this an unusual resource-a jumping-off point for deeper studies."
-Horn Book ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Low level Reading- High level Star
I actually used this book as a source for a college paper. It is one of few resources out there if you are interested in Augusta Savage. I thought it was fun, but of course would recommend it for late Elemantary School to Junior High in normal situations. ... Read more

Book Description
It was W.E.B. DuBois who paved the way with his essays and his magazine The Crisis, but the Harlem Renaissance was mostly a literary and intellectual movement whose best known figures include Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, Countee Cullen, Claude McKay, and Jean Toomer.  Their work ranged from sonnets to modernist verse to jazz aesthetics and folklore, and their mission was race propaganda and pure art.  Adding to their visibility were famous jazz musicians, producers of all-black revues, and bootleggers.

Now available in paperback, this richly-illustrated book contains more than 70 black-and-white photographs and drawings.  Steven Watson clearly traces the rise and flowering of this movement, evoking its main figures as well as setting the scene--describing Harlem from the Cotton Club to its literary salons, from its white patrons like Carl van Vechten to its most famous entertainers such as Duke Ellington, Josephine Baker, Ethel Waters, Alberta Hunter, Fats Waller, Bessie Smith, and Louis Armstrong among many others.  He depicts the social life of working-class speakeasies, rent parties, gay and lesbian nightlife, as well as the celebrated parties at the twin limestone houses owned by hostess A'Lelia Walker.  This is an important history of one of America's most influential cultural phenomenons. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

It's good
This is a worthwhile and well-researched book.It is more scholarly than I expected, and as a result, it took me a while to get fully engaged in.By the time I got to the section discussing the jazz artists, it was hard to put down.I was familiar with most of the writers and artists of the Harlem Renaissance to some extent.The book painted a more vivid picture of many of them, and gave keen perspectives on the social and economic milieu that helped to shape the period.It was fascinating to read about some of the interlocking relationships, in particular the relationships between Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, and Charlotte Mason. Examples such as this changed my notion of writing always being an insular profession. The men and women of the Harlem Renaissance benefited by each other's support as well as competition.

Outlined the experience but no depth
In my journey to explore the Harlem Renaissance, I started with this book.I felt the author gave a good basic view of the era but he left out the soul.He focused on six or seven primary personalities of the time, from Langston Hughes to Zora Neale Hurston, and tied the times into their existence.I was left feeling like there had to be more about the era. The author also chases around issues of major character homosexuality, stating it but not really being clear about it.I was ready for it to end.

This book is informative, entertaining, coherent.
I read this book in hardcover as well as several others for a paper I wrote. The author was able to take the disparate threads of musicians, artists, writers and benefactors who contributed to theRenaissance and weave together a chronology that contained pictures, specific information about the "hotspots" in Harlem and complete, sometimes intimate portraits of all concerned. If the Harlem Renaissance was ever to be depicted in a movie, this book would be a ready-made screen play. The hardcover edition is worth the extra money.

Their Eyes Were Watching God=A Great Book!!
I really enjoyed this book.I had to read it foran english class.At first I thought it was going to be hard to read and dumb due to the dialect, but as I read further into the book, I found out what agreat book it was and why it was on the requiredreading list.I would greatly recommmend reading this book to any one who hasnot.It deals with ablack woman's search for indeoendence over 25 yearsand 3 marriages.It is a great book and gets TWO thumbs up from me!!! ... Read more

Book Description
This fascinating historical overview of a significant but sometimes overlooked era will serve as a valuable reference for librarians, teachers, and students in grades 7 through 12. While not standardized in the social studies curriculum, this era is one of the more commonly studied periods in multicultural units, and until now little material has been available about it. This information-packed book covers the years 1917-1933 and is organized by theme (e.g., historical and biographical references, notable contributors, literature and writing). Each section includes an overview of the topic, brief biographical sketches, and an annotated list of pertinent nonfiction references. Intended as a supplement to social studies textbooks and instruction, this work gives educators and students the information they need about this major cultural movement and the achievements of African Americans during an important era. Black-and-white photos illustrate the text. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Useful addition to curriculum
I'm glad I was unaware of the Booklist review whenI purchased this book.Otherwise, I might have passed on it. I do agree that there are omissions,but I see it as a sort of pathfinder for my students. I can use it to givethem a list of references to begin their research on a particular person orsubject related to the topic. When we get to the library or when they go ontheir own, they will know what to look for. A few of my students have beenbrowsing it, and the photographs have been intriguing to them. It seems tome that this book might be more of a social studies supplement. As ateacher, I see it as a useful resource. ... Read more

Book Description
A finalist for the 1972 National Book Award, hailed by The New York Times Book Review as "brilliant" and "provocative," Nathan Huggins' Harlem Renaissance was a milestone in the study of African-American life and culture. Now this classic history is being reissued, with a new foreword by acclaimed biographer Arnold Rampersad.As Rampersad notes, "Harlem Renaissance remains an indispensable guide to the facts and features, the puzzles and mysteries, of one of the most provocative episodes in African-American and American history." Indeed, Huggins offers a brilliant account of the creative explosion in Harlem during these pivotal years. Blending the fields of history, literature, music, psychology, and folklore, he illuminates the thought and writing of such key figures as Alain Locke, James Weldon Johnson, and W.E.B. DuBois and provides sharp-eyed analyses of the poetry of Claude McKay, Countee Cullen, and Langston Hughes. But the main objective for Huggins, throughout the book, is always to achieve a better understanding of America as a whole. As Huggins himself noted, he didn't want Harlem in the 1920s to be the focus of the book so much as a lens through which readers might see how this one moment in time sheds light on the American character and culture, not just in Harlem but across the nation. He strives throughout to link the work of poets and novelists not only to artists working in other genres and media but also to economic, historical, and cultural forces in the culture at large. This superb reissue of Harlem Renaissance brings to a new generation of readers one of the great works in African-American history and indeed a landmark work in the field of American Studies. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

a primary text of 1920s Harlem
In this year 2005, the 1920s may be utterly distant. Yet during that decade, there was a cultural flowering in the American Negro community. Centred at Harlem. Huggins takes us to that place and time. The narrative is enhanced by one key trait. This book was first published in 1971. The research that went into it was done in the late 60s. Several influential persons of 20s Harlem were still around and the text gives their direct experiences, from interviews with the author.

In this way, Huggins provides a primary text for future students and historians. But given the 30 years that have elapsed since publication, that is who current readers are.

The book shows how even with the severe strictures on Negroes throughout much of the US, a spirited culture could still arise and thrive. ... Read more

Amazon.com
The Harlem Renaissance, the legendary explosion of African Americanartistic excellence that stretched from 1921 to 1929, was arguably the mostconcentrated and influential cultural era in the history of the United States.The Power of Pride, a collection of letters, program notes, and gorgeousphotographs compiled by University of Delaware Professor Carole Marks andphotographic curator Diana Edkins, is a lovely literary and visual snapshot ofthis unique period in Afro-American history. The authors take us on an imaginary"A" train back to the early 20th century to celebrate the regal style of DukeEllington and the pixyish sensuality of Josephine Baker, along with thedown-home vibes of Louis Armstrong and the enigma of "mystery woman" Nella Larson.They detail Zora Neale Hurston's anthropological and ancestral words of wisdom,along with Dorothy West's early writings. Marks and Edkins also explore otherblack enclaves in Washington, D.C., Chicago, and Paris. What makes thiscollection special is the air of dignity and drive displayed by the AfricanAmerican aristocracy of the time. As Professor Marks writes, "they were thestrivers--the dicty--who could not be categorized." --Eugene Holley Jr.Book Description
Josephine Baker -- Walter White -- Zora Neale Hurston -- A'Lelia Walker -- James Weldon Johnson -- Ethel Waters -- Louis Armstrong -- Bessie Smith -- Alberta Hunter -- Jessie Fauset -- Nella Larsen -- Florence Mills -- Duke Ellington -- Bill "Bojangles" Robinson -- Carl Van Vechten -- Langston Hughes -- Dorothy West

"The Power of Pride features seventeen of the most prominent men and women of the New Negro Renaissance. Alternately irreverent, racy, and painfully honest, they were unique: risk-takers in dangerous times, sophisticated salonières in an age of bourgeois provincialism, and experimenters who briefly managed to transcend race by immersing themselves in it."        
--From the Introduction

The Harlem Renaissance was an electrifying period during which huge numbers of African Americans threw off the shackles of discrimination, exploitation, and poverty in the South and moved north. Heady with the feeling of liberation and the discovery of other like-minded folk, artists, writers, painters, and dancers engaged in bursts of furious creativity. From Josephine Baker, taking Paris by storm with her sensual performances and ravishing costumes, to Duke Ellington, revolutionizing the way people thought about rhythm and melody, these artists were the preeminent stylemakers of the era. The Power of Pride is a visually spirited and intimate book full of photographs, letters, playbills, and drawings that capture the gaiety and excitement of the time. Moving from the brownstones of Striver's Row in Harlem to the Negro Appreciation salons in Paris, the book focuses on seventeen Renaissance figures who exemplify the themes of race, fortitude, talent, and style, and whose strength of will and ability created a
model for all those with dreams and aspirations emerging in the African-American community. The work of each shared a common thread, their intent, as writer Ralph Ellison has articulated it, "to arouse the troubling suspicion that whatever else the true American is, he is also somehow black." With a foreword by Juan Williams--author of Eyes on the Prize and Thurgood Marshall: American Revolutionary-- and stunning photographs throughout, The Power of Pride serves as a vivid testament to the artistic and social contributions of the Harlem Renaissance to the history of America. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Engaging and stimulating
This book is fantastic and a source of pride! I studied this period in undergrad. and I love to read anything I can find on the Harlem Renaissance. The book is beautifully done, the photos are great and thechoices are interesting.Wondered why the authors placed Bill Robinson inthe DC section, but the bios are concise and complete. A great book foryoung people as well as students of the period.

Fantastic
As a student of the printed word, I've always been fascinated by the Harlem Renaissance, or the "RenGen" (Renaissance Generation). This book is wonderful to me because it offers information and faces tomatch the personalities with which I'd found myself identifying withthroughout most of my life.It is very uplifting and encouraging to readabout such a group of classy, glamorous, educated, eloquent, literate,ambitious, and talented young individuals.Even though a few of theirideals were somewhat disturbing (mainly the whole "paper-bagtest" mentality), this book was still thoroughly refreshing.With itswonderful photographs and biographical information, it is a plethora ofinformation in sepia.Today's writers should emulate the literary (prosaicand poetic) elegance and grace of Johnson, Fauset, Larsen, Hurston, Hughes,and others, instead of seemingly automatically gravitating towards awritten genre that seems to stress nothing but profanity and over-(overt)sexuality in the African American community.How I wish those days ofclass could come back to our literary community!Perhaps one day it will.

To know the history of American culture, read this!
Marks' and Edkins' book is an elegant portrayal of the lives of those who created the Harlem Renaissance. Beautifully illustrated with historical photographs--most rarely seen, this book should be read by anyone wantingto know about the evolution of American culture. The authors' narrativereveals the strength and creativity of these African American women and menwhose energy and talent has given the nation some of its richest culturalforms. They show how they grappled with questions of racial identity in ahighly segregated society and how their relationships with each otherfostered one of the most important cultural movements in the nation. Anyone wanting to know more about American history , its culturalinstitutions, and the legacy of racial prejudice should read this book andshow it to their children. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Hill's "Cultural History of the Harlem Renaissance"(1900-1930's)
Laban Carrick Hill's "Harlem Stomp" is a fine historic text: with words, as well as, in pictures, photos and paintings .The text supports the idiom "believe half of what you see and even less of what you hear" as the textmakes it clear that photographers like James VanDerZee(Pgs 124-126):"had his subjects look flawless even when in real life that was not the case"(e.g. :as Harlem struggled with purpose and poverty).

Geared for kids but still informative
This seems geared for the junior high school crowd, but there are still great pictures and it's pretty stuffed with information.Worthwhile buy.

Young adults (and even older ones!) will love this book
This book is a visual feast and a joy to browse; the graphic design captures the energy of the Harlem Renaissance. It's like a scrapbook jammed with "rent party" tickets, dinner programs, book covers, letters, playbills, song lyrics and more. There is something here to capture the interest of even reluctant readers.

But the text also shines. The story of how and why Harlem came to be is told clearly and without mincing words: we learn the glorious achievements in art, music, theater, literature and just plain survival, but we also learn of the racism haunting the era,and the infighting within the Black community itself. I think readers will appreciate this honest, realistic approach, which brings the era to life.

By the way, given the graphic beauty of this book, the price is a steal! ... Read more

Book Description
From the music of Louis Armstrong to the portraits by Beauford Delaney, the writings of Langston Hughes to the debut of the musical Show Boat, the Harlem Renaissance is one of the most significant developments in African-American history in the twentieth century. The Encyclopedia of the Harlem Renaissance, in two volumes and over 635 entries, is the first comprehensive compilation of information on all aspects of this creative, dynamic period.

In order to fully understand the movement and its achievements, the Encyclopedia examines not only the cultural and artistic accomplishments of the time but also the political, social, and economic climate. This comprehensive view of the period includes in-depth coverage of the artistic and literary movements as well as broad coverage of the political, social, economic, and legal issues that confronted African-Americans during the early twentieth century.

The Encyclopedia of the Harlem Renaissance focuses on the period of intense cultural creativity and rapid social change in the two decades following World War I. But the work also covers the period before the Harlem Renaissance, to examine influential precursors, and the decade after, to discuss its continuing impact and lasting repercussion. In addition, although the Harlem Renaissance is primarily associated with New York, it was not confined to this one location. This Encyclopedia explores the movement's far-reaching influence in other major cities in the United States as well as the Caribbean, Africa, and Europe.

The entries are written by over 260 historians, scholars, artists, and writers and reflect the latest scholarship in their respective fields: history, art, music, dance, politics, political theory, economics, sociology, or African-American studies. Ranging from 500 to 5,000 words, the entries fall into five main categories:

*People: important actors, writers, artists, critics, personalities, thinkers, and entrepreneurs, among others. Alisting of the individual's publications; listings of exhibits, artworks, or compositions; and a brief biographical sketch are included

*Works: plays, films, theater productions, and books

*Topics: concepts, ideologies, events, and themes

*Organizations: philanthropic organizations, businesses, publishers, and theater companies

*Periodicals: newspapers, magazines, and journals

The Encyclopedia of the Harlem Renaissance brings together the breadth and diversity of this rich and complex period. Scholars, researchers, students, and the general reader can seek out information from broad outlines to the fine details on this remarkable and influential period in one comprehensive reference work.


Key features

*Accessible A-Z format for easy searching

*639 entries by over 260 leading historians, scholars, artists, and writers

*Entries range in length from 500 to 5,000 words and include useful bibliographiesfor suggestions for further reading and research

*Extensive cross-references for each entry guiding the reader to related topics

*180 black-and-white photos and illustrations

*Comprehensive analytical index

*Thematic and alphabetic list of entries ... Read more

Book Description
Real-life stories of struggle, achievement, victory, and sometimes loss that are an ideal companion for history, social science, language and geography studies. The Extroardinary People series is the perfect starter for students who want to know more about the people who shaped their world, focusing on the unique histories of people from every culture, and every walk of life. ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (1)

wonderful companion piece
This book is a wonderful companion piece to the works of Jessie Redmon Fauset, Nella Larsen and Zora Neale Hurston.Provides critical biographies for all three.Great reference for scholars, but interesting to anyone who's reading these amazing women. ... Read more

Book Description
An introduction to the period in the 1920s known as the Harlem Renaissance, when the expression of African American creativity in many forms flourished. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

fantastic book!
I first fell in love with the Harlem Renaissance, back in high school, when I had the great good fortune to do a research project on the intellectuals, artists, writers and multitudes of other great, visionary people who participated in this, possibly the greatest cultural revival in the United States.From the 1920s through the 1940s, African-American voices were finally being heard and recognized by a greater sector of the population.For starters, this renaissance was inspired by the renaissances of Europe, and the talent coming up at this time were truly voices of their culture and their generation.Some of the greatest voices that come to mind include Zora Neale Hurston (author of THEIR EYES WERE WATCHING GOD) and Langston Hughes (poet and essayist).

ARTISTS AND WRITERS OF THE HARLEM RENAISSANCE takes a great look at just a few examples of some of the most-well respected contributors to this artistic movement.They include James Weldon Johnson, Alain LeRoy Locke (for some, he was best known as "the architect" behind the Harlem Renaissance), Bessie Smith and Duke Ellington (a legendary bandleader and composer).This book was short and sweet, yet very informative!It was great to refresh my memory about some of these great Americans.I hope that this book inspires a new generation of aspiring talent in the world, and that a resurgence of this cultural celebration takes place one day! ... Read more

Book Description
During the 1920s and 1930s, black artists and writers achieved something totally unprecedented: they created a new image of African Americans that truly reflected their times as well as their history. In so doing, they set the artistic agenda of the Harlem Renaissance and gave form to some of its most compelling visions.

This innovative study examines the efforts of Harlem Renaissance artists and writers to create a hybrid expression of black identity that drew on their ancient past while participating in contemporary American culture. Caroline Goeser investigates a critical component of Harlem Renaissance print culture that until now has been largely overlooked, arguing that illustrations became the most timely and often most radical visual products of the movement.

This vibrant partnership between literary and visual talents--a trail blazed by artist Aaron Douglas and poet Langston Hughes--resulted in the image of the New Negro, one that remade the African American past in order to foster greater participation in modern American culture and commerce. Illustrations by Douglas, James Wells, Gwendolyn Bennett, and others appeared on covers of books about black American life and in journals such as Opportunity and The Crisis. Goeser considers the strategies that these artists developed to circumvent stereotypes and shows how their work was received within the movement and in mainstream America.

Connecting visual imagery with literary text and commercial enterprise, these illustrations participated in the modern economy in ways that painting and sculpture could not. Goeser reveals how Harlem Renaissance illustrators depicted the wide-ranging and sometimes conflicting ideas about black identity held within the community: African roots and Egyptian heritage, racial uplift and gay pride. She shows how some artists revisited the Judeo-Christian tradition by portraying a black Adam and Jesus, and examines the interdependent relationships between race and sexuality in the work of artists Richard Bruce Nugent and Charles Cullen, the former black, the latter white.

Goeser clearly shows that, contrary to common belief, the visual image of the New Negro was created by African Americans, for African Americans. Her work assigns a central role to black artists as cultural innovators and is a new touchstone in understanding both the emergence of black identity and American culture between the world wars. ... Read more

Book Description
The Harlem Renaissance, from 1910 to 1927, was the time when Harlem came alive with theater, drama, sports, dance and politics. Looking at events as diverse as the prizefight between Jack Johnson and Jim 'White Hope' Jeffries, the choreography of Aida Walker and Ethel Waters, the writing of Zora Neale Hurston and the musicals of the period, Krasner paints a vibrant portrait of those years. This was the time when the residents of northern Manhattan were leading their downtown counterparts at the vanguard of artistic ferment while at the same time playing a pivotal role in the evolution of Black nationalism. This is a thrilling piece of work, a classic destined to become the standard composition on the Harlem Renaissance for years to come. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A Time of Rebirth
The Harlem Renaissance is defined by artlex.com as a literary and art movement in the uptown Manhattan neighborhood of Harlem, in the mid and late 1920's. In author David Krasner's A BEAUTIFUL PAGEANT, he provides a detailed capturing of a historical time when great pride and creativity for African Americans was not an unusual occurrence.

Many people tend to think of the Harlem Renaissance as a time when only literary notables such as Zora Neale Hurston and Langston Hughes emerged, but it was so much more. There was a strong little theatre movement, great choreographers such as Ethel Waters and Aida Overton Walker, and most surprising to me, one of the most controversial sporting events of the time. The boxing match between Jack Johnson, a flamboyant and confident black fighter and Jim Jeffries who was known as "The Great White Hope", the hope of white people was that Jim Jeffries would prove that he was superior to the arrogant and inferior black man. When Jack Johnson was crowned the winner, it was a springboard to pride among African Americans.

Before I read this book I had a general view of what the Harlem Renaissance was about, but after finishing it, I have a much broader insight into this special era represented and produced. David Krasner is a very thorough writer and I was impressed with the attention to detail and the fact that the book was researched in depth. But as informative and knowledgeable as this book is, I was very frustrated while reading it because of the microscopic print which made it very difficult to read. If the font size of the print was larger this would have been a much more enjoyable read and my rating would have been a 4 instead of a 3.5.(RAW Rating: 3.5)

Reviewed by Simone A. Hawks
of The RAWSISTAZ™ Reviewers
... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

I loved this book it showed the black peoples accomplishment
The Harlem Renaissance (African American Achievers) was a superb book. AndMs. Chambers is one of the many a people who have succeded in capturing theAfrican Americans experiance. When I first started reading the introimmediatly captured my attention and, the preceding words held it. Again Istress that this novel is a superb one.Veronica Chambers should becomended. *****a book fanatic ... Read more

Book Description

From the beginnings of"Harlemania" to the beginnings of the Great Depression, this authoritative resource presents the people, places and times that defined an era and documents the launch of cultural development among African Americans in 1920s Harlem. This single volume contains almanac and biographies sections with primary source documents in sidebars throughout.

The book features 7 subject chapters and 15 biographical profiles. The chapters in Harlem Renaissance feature informative sidebars that describe Harlem slang, fashion and popular dances, as well as interesting figures such as Josephine Baker, Florence Mills and Bill "Bojangles" Robinson. Harlem Renaissance presents the writings of notable authors of the time and how African American literature changed from works in dialect to penetrating analyses of black culture, inspiring novels of protest and racial pride. Look for informative chapters that feature:

• Biographies
• The beginnings of the Harlem Renaissance
• Historical background and overview
• Fiction, poetry and journalism
• Performing arts
• The visual arts
• Harlem nightlife
• The end of the Harlem Renaissance
• And much more