Literary Icons You NEED to Know From the Harlem Renaissance (feat. Princess Weekes) | It's Lit

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One of the most influential periods in Black American History post-slavery is the Harlem Renaissance, an intellectual, social, and artistic explosion centered in Harlem, Manhattan, New York City.
Novels like Passing by Nella Larsen, Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston, and the poetry of Langston Hughes were all written during this period and have become important pieces of the American literary canon.
Still, when discussing this topic we tend to flatten the dynamic personalities and identities of the Black folk responsible for making this period so iconic in the literary sense.
Not only in America, but as part of the entire Black diaspora.
Hosted by Lindsay Ellis and Princess Weekes, It’s Lit! is a show about our favorite books, genres, and why we love to read. It’s Lit has been made possible in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities: Exploring the human endeavor.
Interested in using this video as a teaching resource? Check it out on PBS LearningMedia: to.pbs.org/3Cm...
Hosted and Written by: Princess Weekes
Director: David Schulte
Executive Producer: Amanda Fox
Producer: Stephanie Noone
Editor: Mo Murphy
Writing Consultants: Maia Krause
Assistant Director of Programming (PBS): Gabrielle Ewing
Executives in Charge (PBS): Brandon Arolfo, Adam Dylewski
Produced by Spotzen for PBS Digital Studios.
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[@sharinberman7002]

Awkward moment when Storied cites the chapter you’re supposed to be reading, but watching Storied instead.

[@Jazira13]

I'm so happy Arturo Schoenberg got a shout out! It's an important part of Puerto Rican history, one I learned in school growing up and even got to see some of his collections in college, at the University of Puerto Rico. Puerto Rican blackness is an important part of our identity and one that is often overlooked. I myself have West African ancestors who worked the sugarcane plantations and the tobacco fields. My great grandpa was a black tobacco field worker a few generations removed from slavery. It is an important and rich part of our history in the Caribbean and as part of the diaspora, both of Black and mixed race Puerto Ricans. Afro-Puerto Ricans have a distinct history and culture worth learning about.

[@jso6790]

As a Nuyorican, I only learned about Schomburg a few years ago, since we don't even learn African-American history, much less Puerto Rican.. other than.. "The US invaded in 1898, faced no resistance, and were greeted as liberators..."... yeah.. And that that was last time El Morro and San Cristobal were "in combat."

[@mr.goblin6039]

Ayy, fellow Boricuas in the comments! Nice! I went to Artes Plasticas in San Juan. Most of our English teachers would speak of the importance of these authors.

[@Bleuryder]

Follow graduate from University of Puerto Rico here!! I have a few professor friends there, and they adding courses on top of their already great programs in afro Caribbean literature and related fields there (Rio Piedras at least) I don't know if COVID affected those plans tho.

[@sandra-jones]

@@jso6790 hi can you explain Nuyorican?

[@jso6790]

@@sandra-jones It's a Puerto Rican from New York. We were born on the Mainland, but like most Puerto Ricans still have the heavy influence of our culture, as it is maintained in New York.. however, we often have the insecurity of not speaking Spanish as natives Puerto Ricans IN Puerto Rico do.. like a lot of members of our families.

[@HogdahlThomas]

Schomburg's mustache is the most glorious thing I've ever seen.

[@FiveToedSloth]

This is the English class I always wanted!

[@malayfishowl]

"Translation" by Anne Spencer We trekked into a far country, My friend and I. Our deeper content was never spoken, But each knew all the other said. He told me how calm his soul was laid By the lack of anvil and strife. “The wooing kestrel,” I said, “mutes his mating-note To please the harmony of this sweet silence.” And when at the day’s end We laid tired bodies ’gainst The loose warm sands, And the air fleeced its particles for a coverlet; When star after star came out To guard their lovers in oblivion- My soul so leapt that my evening prayer Stole my morning song!

[@noctembra]

This is gorgeous, thank you for posting! I swear I've heard at least the first part before but it's really standing out to me now!

[@CSHallo]

It looks like Princess was reveling in the joy of doing this topic, and it came through in video. It's Princess's best It's List, perhaps the best of the entire series.

[@MariaVosa]

What wouldn't I give for a "Mad Men" style series set in Harlem in the 1910s-20s.

[@corngreaterthanwheat]

You kinda get that with Boardwalk Empire. It's pretty problematic, but the Black cast brings it. If you need something to do in quarantine, I think seasons 3 and 4 have really strong stories about the Black gangsters in Atlantic City.

[@MariaVosa]

@@corngreaterthanwheat Good to know, I only watched season 1 and then kind of lost interest

[@lyndawilliams4570]

Genius idea!!! I would DEFINITELY watch that

[@lyndawilliams4570]

@@corngreaterthanwheatI guess but I want a story of a community not caught up in crime. I want to see regular black families and stories of the black upper class on strivers row

[@reed1159]

shoutout to princess for giving us everyone's signs, as well as pointing us in the direction of that harlem renaissance tea.

[@willemvandebeek]

Sorry for being naive, but why are their signs so important?

[@blackforge1374]

@@willemvandebeek Honestly, just because it’s fun. Most of us here enjoy all kinds of fiction, suspending our disbelief is secondhand nature by now. The inherent truth of a thing doesn’t have to justify its significance to people when dealing with studies of humanities or its predecessors, even the unscientific ones. 🙂

[@SR77736]

@@willemvandebeek it's fun duh

[@thesamardahab]

It gives us more insight into them.

[@alexkl6084]

*immediately adds everything mentioned in this video to my tbr pile*

[@clartblart3266]

tbr? edit: oh, to be read?

[@mhawang8204]

I grow to appreciate Princess's presence on It's Lit! I learn so much about black authors and their work whenever she covers a topic like this. Hopefully this becomes a series, not just a one-off thing during Black History Month.

[@sandra-jones]

I agree. I always make a big deal of it and sit with my Granddaughter to watch then we lookup the subjects in other places.

[@Doomroar]

But what about making a pt 2 3 4 ... you know, it can be a series.

[@CerebrumMortum]

YES PLEASE

[@Typingoctopus]

Hollywood needs to make a movie about the Harlem Renaissance figures instead of a million slavery movies

[@latronqui]

This! And please not with a white protagonist.

[@jovitajacobs6598]

Way back in 1994 I wrote my AP English paper on the Harlem Renaissance. I've been obsessed ever since. This video is everything I wish I could have articulated way back then. THANK YOU!!!!!!

[@rosswebster7877]

Another superb video Princess and Storied Crew! Zora Neale Hurston was one helluva of a woman. I've been reading a lot about her in Gods of the Upper Air by Charles King about the students of the Boaz School. Glad to see mention of the overlooked female voices of the Harlem Renaissance.

[@TheSrawsome]

I grew up in the rural midwest and literally NONE of these writers were ever covered in my schools. It's so depressing how much basic history I've had to learn on my own as an adult simply because it's non-white.

[@marlonmoncrieffe0728]

You never learned black history or the Harlem Renaissance? I'm really surprised that Langston Hughes was never covered.

[@dochappy26]

Rural Pennsylvanian here and it was the same for me. In 11th grade we did 'American Literature' and the only thing we read from that time period was The Great Gatsby. I moved to Detroit for a job right out of high school and thankfully had friends who could point me in the direction of these amazing writers (and more!)

[@DylanPowell1125]

Really, i guess its different from here in the south. We learn about black history constantly.

[@namefirstnamelast6404]

I'm from rural Utah and we learned about Langston Hughes, and Zora Neale Hurston (that I remember - there may have been more, I wasn't the best student).

[@saywhen2383]

Look up who owned the slave ships next, then look up who owned all the plantations, then look up how many Irish, French and Italian worked as slaves right in the plantations too. I bet it will surprise you. Then look up the (Barbary Slave Trade).

[@els1f]

It's incredible how much education shapes societies and what is included in that education is so ferociously controlled. There is SO much that I'm honestly embarrassed that i only learned relatively recently. Like red summer and black wall street. Hearing of those things makes so much recent history just click into place

[@ieatgremlins]

Claude Mckay was an absolute genius. His poem "America" says everything that needed to be said about this country.

[@mikaylavaba2448]

to everybody pressed in the comments about giving the authors’ star signs...these videos are obviously targeted to a younger audience who enjoys these things. it takes nothing away from the historical context and makes the history more engaging.

[@lnt305]

God, thanks for putting it that well. I wonder if maybe most of them are just new to the show and are unfamiliar with its tongue-in-cheek tone The zodiac signs got a good natured eyeroll and chuckle out of me

[@austinshoupe3003]

It's not just younger people. It's an old stereotype of psuedo science loving soccer moms. And it may not undercut the information she is presenting, but it does rub a lot of people the wrong way and undercuts her credibility (fairly or not) due to the above association.

[@Reed81315]

@@austinshoupe3003 did undercut credibility for me till I read OP. It's just for the memez

[@shensley27]

As a Leo, I take offense at you removing the opportunity to talk about myself. :-)

[@TheWuschi]

How does supersticious woowoo (tongue in cheek or not) make history more engaging? I don't get it! (But, admitted: I'm a boomer...)

[@doom_delrey9736]

Passing by Nella Larsen really fucked me up. God, what a book.

[@lynnhawkins952]

I loaned out my highly annotated copy and never got it back. :(

[@peterk7931]

It took me too long to realize that you weren't talking about Princess failing to mention Nella Larsen and passing her by. I was getting ready to correct you and then the grammar suddenly made sense.

[@lismarcel]

@@peterk7931 🤣 I also read it, by the way, and the effect was similar. I needed a moment to regain my mental balance

[@Firegen1]

The Harlem renaissance was incredible. The poetry was absolutely exceptional, it's inspired tons of my work.

[@moonbook12]

Oh cool , what you worte? I think I want to check it out

[@Firegen1]

@@moonbook12 Thank you so much for your interest in my work. I primarily write poetry that mixes a lot of styles. Some are like ballads (olde English) and some are more like jazz pieces. Best place to find my stuff is on Poetizer poetizer.com/poem/1345204. The poem above is very inspired by the Harlem Renaissance

[@buckethead979]

We just learned about this my senior year, but not in history class, but in English class, because we were learning about Zora Neale Hurston. I wish we learned more about black history in school, everything is framed from a white point of view in schools.

[@Jason-ue7gi]

I read a bunch of Harlem Rennaissance work in undergrad, but especially I LOVE Zora Neale Hurston- we read a lot of her across my Anthro classes and not only was her prose amazing but so was the actual ethnographic work she did.

[@Nick-nv5fy]

Make this a series, a bit more in depth than what you had to summarize here. I’d gladly watch it and I’m sure many others would too. Appreciate the video and hope to see more soon!

[@jonasholzer4422]

We read some of Claude Mckay's poems in literary studies. And i remember just sitting there and reading some of the poems over and over, out loud, cause they just sound that epic.

[@AlyssaMakesArt]

Wright's Hurston criticism is worth examining - but not of her work alone. More the system of white patrons that "allowed" many members of the movement to flourish at this time by financially backing them. This need of capital to produce and not die starving, and the racial and class dynamics. Hurston, Langston and that corner of the movement were aware and dealt with this in different ways. They even had a nickname "N*ggerati" because they were fully aware of the dynamics and approached this issue in their own way. All artists do this today and it doesn't make them making work for a mainstream audience. I hope this made sense. I HAVE THOUGHTS. I think Wright is just a hater because many people critiqued that writing despite a Twain writing in vernacular.

[@TerrellThomas1971]

i must disagree . Richard Wright was merely a Black Communist who wanted to encourage a sense of revolutionary nationalism , and he thought that Hurston was just a sentimental bougie

[@laexploradoraaaXD]

ZNH was one of the reasons I studied anthropology in college.

[@MinkytheMinkY]

Bravo Princess, always bringing us more authors to appreciate.

[@lindala2602]

I've been told that Zora Neale Hurston has the first noted use of 'cool' as slang for good in the OED

[@WmJared]

May this video cue some book nerd to find a historical book nerd who has the complete first edition set of all anne spencer's works

[@clartblart3266]

Amen

[@aztektheultimatewoman]

We’re literally going over this stuff in my US history class right now, and this was super informative, helpful, and illuminating!

[@FIRING_BLIND]

Hearing Hughes' poem, "My People"....that hit home. I'm white, but I'm also disabled, queer, trans, and live in the American South. Too often my people, both the disabled and the LGBTQ communities, are villified-we are portrayed as ugly, evil. But like Hughes, I revel in the beauty of the communities to which I belong. I will never know what it's like to be black, nor to be racially oppressed. But I do know oppression. And I know beauty. Thank you, Princess, for making this video. Not only did I learn a lot, but I got to experience really deep emotional connection with a piece of work I may have never read otherwise.

[@TeevinG]

So so so happy for this video to exist! Especially the inspiring end that promotes self research. As a mixed race guy who was raised in a white family, I am now definitely motivated to dive back into studying the Harlem Renaissance and African American history! Thank you!

[@bilditup1]

spent much time in the microfilms at schomburg at school, at no point did i actually look into who he was, thank you for that especially

[@jso6790]

This was wonderful. I am so glad you mentioned Schomburg, too. I only learned recently of his roots, and was so proud that a Puerto Rican man left behind such an incredible legacy. Obviously, the rest of this list was wonderful. I remember being so shocked by Wright's attack on Hurston, especially given his reputation. That Hurston lived her last years as a hotel (or motel) maid in Ft. Pierce, Florida is one of the great tragedies of academic and literary history. Beyond her literature, her anthropological work and methodology were so groundbreaking! Of course, my favorite McKay poem is "A Capitalist at Dinner"

[@shockofthenew]

Oh my god this was fascinating, thank you for such a well-researched and engaging overview! To be fair I'm not American, but still I'd never heard of most of these people and I don't think I've ever seen any mainstream media cover this period. This inspired me to learn more!

[@InezAllen]

I'm new to this channel so idk if this is a continuing thing, but the mismatch between the subtitles and the voice lines is extremely discombobulating. i have an audio processing disorder and use the subtitles to anticipate what will be said, so having it be wrong so consistently makes it extremely difficult for me to actually absorb the information being taught

[@WABBNMedia]

I’m forever grateful for Zora Neal Hurston. Yes, I’m a tad biased, because I was born and raised in Harlem. Back to Zora. She wrote in our (Black American) Vernacular. To this day, the way we talk is looked down upon ( except for our slang which influences American pop culture ( which is also broadcast globally). I will forever hold my dialect and cultural folkways to heart. I’m grateful I had grand parents who were born in the 40’s & 30’s and were Southern. I was raised hearing the dialect. Hearing from a first hand source about life back then is priceless.

[@gypsymoth8977]

Thank you for added care in your subtitles. I get a lot of extra nuggets of info and insight into Princess’s thoughts about the research just by virtue of needing them and it’s well worth the occasional pause. There’s nothing better than an expert talking about what they really love ❤️

[@proverbblanket.]

I love PBS ! Their documentaries and docuseries are always on point!

[@thatmessy132]

It's interesting that I know some of these works but not their creators, now to spend money I don't have on these books.

[@natmj7851]

More, more, more pls!! And I especially loved it when you mentioned their zodiac signs. 😁🥰

[@TheWuschi]

Why?

[@emilyonizuka4698]

it's sad that the only one of these writers I heard about in school was langston hughes, and we only read one of his poems in eighth grade while talking about poetry. though it says something about his poetry style that I more or less forgot about that poem, then as an adult took a book of his poems out of the library and immediately went, "hey, this seems familiar".

[@maleahlock]

Thank you for the video. I just visited our Western Australia museum (Boola Bardip) and the storytelling by our First Peoples, especially of the sisters, is riveting, important, and eye opening.

[@KrisLovesMoviess]

I love Princess! These are the videos I adore so much! ty ty 💓 💗 💖 💛 💕 ☺

[@booksatthebottomofthestair8446]

This is so interesting. So much to follow up on. Thank you.

[@jaydoubleu4575]

Was Jean Toomer part of this era? Cane is a beautiful book that blurs the line between poetry and prose!

[@mmelanoma]

In my country we study a bit of US history in school but very little of it centers around black people, much less their literature, so it's the first time I'm hearing these names. I'm excited to read their thoughts!

[@JaiProdz]

a period we need to see in more films!

[@AvgJane19]

This would make a great series!

[@gamerghxst]

Still would love a part 2 on this covering more historical figures from the era.

[@davidbodor1762]

Why didn't I see this on my feed earlier? Usually I see vids of this channel like hours after upload not 2 days...

[@TheWuschi]

Even though I'm subscribed including a smash-battered bell, I found it only over Lindsay Ellis' message in the notification area...

[@ajf1807]

taking a class on ecotheology rn and will try to read up on anne spencer as a precursor to ecowomanism/womanism!

[@FortuitousOwl]

Hell yeah I needed another princess video, I always get so many good book recs and learn so much

[@cupguin]

Annoyed it took two days for me to find this, glad I did.

[@chloekrueger9497]

I'm still mad at my "friends" for only wanting to ride the escalators at the black history museum that just opened when we went on a school trip.

[@wendychavez5348]

Amazing presentation! Thank you for pinyin us toward so many important authors and great works.

[@hectormanuel8360]

Bless, Arturo Achomburg he was a gift to humanity. Free Puerto Rico 🇵🇷 ✊

[@mrvrydapperferret1779]

A really insightful and interesting video, I now want to learn a lot more so I'd say this video was a booming success

[@brucefrizzell4221]

I learned a lot and would appreciate a complete series on the Harlem Renaissance !

[@Blade9blood]

This is awesome. Thx for all these great recommendations!

[@polyphoniczeitgeist465]

"Lenin" by Langston Hughes: Lenin walks around the world. Frontiers cannot bar him. Neither barracks nor barricades impede. Nor does barbed wire scar him. Lenin walks around the world. Black, brown and white receive him. Language is no barrier. The strangest tongues believe him. Lenin walks around the world. The sun sets like a scar. Between the darkness and the dawn There rises a red star.

[@ItsNish101]

I enjoyed this learned a few new things 🖤

[@raymondtrabulsy7294]

Their Eyes Were Watching God is my favorite novel from my college days.

[@RoDaGrier]

Thank you

[@JonBogdanove]

Best video so far!!! I don't advocate the end of "Black History Month", I just want it to spread through the other 11 months as well, as a major part of general Human history!

[@daniellehill1253]

This was so informative. Thanks!

[@kmaher1424]

So, why not a whole series on the subject? Biographies of the creators. Samples of their work. A look at visual artists who took part. Please, no need to wait for the next Black History Month....

[@Juiceharlot]

I love your humor Princess and adding the astrology. Passing is on my March TBR.

[@KierTheScrivener]

Adore these books and authors! Thank you for this video🔥

[@rbgalldayeveryday]

Thank you for sharing this video

[@therealpinoyhapa]

Let us remember Robert Bruce Nugent who along with Zora Neal Hurston and other very important writers created a very important work called Fire!. Very good presentation. Also I can not stress enough the great importance of the Schomburg Center as the repository for African\-American studies and research.

[@realgrilledsushi]

Thank you for introducing us to Harlem Shake.

[@bunnyday1473]

Cane by Jean Toomer is amazing and, though being released after the Harlem renaissance, Chester Himes' novels are an absolute must read, especially 'A Rage in Harlem' and 'Real Cool Killers'.

[@kincamell2]

Gratitude

[@V_4_Versace]

Kind of nuts that this video only mentions the white colleges Zora attended. Like she is literally so important at Howard University, she even co-founded the student newspaper that’s still in print today. I definitely feel it would have been important to mention Howard as both an important start to her writing and activism as well as her lasting influence there, especially with Howard being a prominent HBCU.

[@SSNewberry]

In Jonah's Gourd Vine Hurston makes a Rocco-esque poem about Christain God's creation, it is on 145-151 of Library of America's version. In saying Ameramerian Rocco as in The Declaration of Independence in that there is a look back to Voltaire and Fredrick the Great and a look forward to Rousseau. Why is this important? Because the Revolutionary mindset of one of the parts of American is the claim that what one person has by right, all people should have. This is emphasized by the repetition: for example, lines 124-128. This is repeated through American History when a people announces that they too want a part of the "American Dream."

[@lowtech42]

I love that Princess shouts out all their zodiac signs lol I'm big into astrology too 😁♓

[@rafaela00002]

Time to add all these books to the tbr pile

[@daneckabargas6690]

I get to be a little less ignorant and learn people's astrological signs while I do it. I love this channel

[@angelqiu2237]

Great video again! Love this series

[@EllBell-wj1ye]

I'm not black, but I am queer. And I definitely think it's unfair that we get a full length month with no major holidays while all my black brothers and sisters are saddled with the runt of the month litter. Petition to make January Black History Month so we can start each year on a high note and make my birthday less of a chore.

[@chegeny]

Capricorn here. Thanks! Adding these authors to my reading list.

[@ajhc1075]

Can we just talk about her mentioning their zodiac signs 😂🤌

[@moonbook12]

Omg I need to sand it to my English teacher this video, she made us read Passing in high school.

[@cityonfoot6023]

Awesome! And I just paired this with a podcast about the birth of Black Harlem!

[@shockofthenew]

ooh, what was the podcast?

[@shockofthenew]

@Brandy Kaiser thanks, I'll be sure to check it out!

[@maristiller4033]

We took field trips to Anne Spencer’s house all the time but I had no idea she was an author. Shame we didn’t get that knowledge.

[@Jim4815162342]

Hey, comments section! Feel free to call me out on this, but the word "piteous" was mispronounced. I am only really mentioning it because KZbin rewards people commenting on videos. So this should help to get more eyes on the video. Have a great day!

[@NotHPotter]

Policing language use has some kinda classist roots. It's really not the sort of thing worth mentioning.

[@Jim4815162342]

@@NotHPotter I have heard that stance recently. A valid concern.

[@NotHPotter]

@@Jim4815162342 Yeah, I came up as a gifted kid in a good school system, and for the longest time I was kind of an ass about that myself. However, given both the differences in grammar and syntax for things like AAVE as well as other more regional dialects (that often get treated as less intelligent or less educated), I think there's a good case for recognizing the more fluid nature of language and accepting that if the correct meaning is conveyed, then the language cannot have been employed incorrectly. In fairness, I didn't really intend to call you out so much as likewise contribute to the algorithmic boost of the video, but good talk!

[@Jim4815162342]

@@NotHPotter Hmm. I have never heard the term "AAVE" before this. Thank you for that.

[@margaret_adelle]

Love that Princess has beef with a dead writer because he slandered her fave.

[@BaconPraline]

I enjoy stories set there

[@RickyDog1989]

I wanna read all of that now!!!

[@lisawilkerson5671]

Hurston, Hughes ❤❤❤ heart swoon❤❤❤

[@ProletariatPrince]

Oh hey we read that poem last week!

[@williamozier918]

I am well read, however not ar all versed in these works. Thank you, that was great!

[@KazWinchester]

I NEED A BOOK REC LIST ASAP

[@LazKoal]

Love how you tell us the star signs ✨💫 I’m a Capricorn btw

[@Peace_And_Love42]

Please give her extra time to read the script ahead of time. Watching her read the script live is distracting and her delivery is more emotionally driving when she's speaking her truth instead of just reading out loud

[@BSealeFLent]

Its not at all. She did great and the video was dope

[@SR77736]

Big ups!!! 🇯🇲 I also appreciate all the zodiac signs listed.

[@OddWomanOut_Pi81]

🫣 The way the Western Zodiac has so many of ya'll in a chokehold...😄😄😄 Anywhoooo 😒... This was great!👌🏾 The search bar in my Kindle is about to get that work, baby! 😁

[@ericcagle1263]

Awesomeness .

[@MostlyMildMidnights]

Fantastic video! An Informative and important breakdown of an area of literature that goes ignored far too often. I appreciate the discussion of mixed race authors and they’re interpretation of the black identity, whether it be the black/white or Afro Latino experience. Thank you!