Summary: Author and ethnomusicologist Jean E. Snyder discusses Harry T. Burleigh's leading role in American music and culture during the 20th century, through his work as a composer, arranger and performer. Part of her research on Burleigh, recognized as the first African-American to produce a major body of art songs, was conducted using resources at the Library of Congress.
William H. Johnson arrived in Harlem in1918 from Florence, South Carolina, at the onset of the Harlem Renaissance. Considered a major American artist, he attended the National Academy of Arts and studies under Charles Hawthorne.
Find images of artists, musicians, poets, and writers who contributed to the Harlem Renaissance. Suggested search terms are: Marian Anderson, Billie Holiday, Langston Hughes, and Zora Neale Hurston.
This feature presentation introduces teachers and students to the topic of Immigration. The "Artistic Rebirth" page mentions African Americans who contributed to the Harlem Renaissance era.
A selection of Library of Congress primary sources exploring the Harlem Renaissance. This set also includes a Teacher's Guide with historical context and teaching suggestions.
Students explore poetry using the American Life Histories: Manuscripts from the Federal Writers' Project, 1936 to 1940 collection of American Memory, which covers personal stories collected by the Works Progress Administration. The collection includes interviews relating to the Harlem Renaissance.
To better understand the turn-of-the-century United States, this interdisciplinary lesson integrates use of primary resources with historical and literary analysis. Students explore interviews relating to the Harlem Renaissance from the American Life Histories: Manuscripts from the Federal Writers' Project, 1936 to 1940 collection.
