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AAS 245: The Harlem Renaissance
The Harlem Renaissance was a period of literary, social, academic, and cultural production by Black
artists in northern cities in America starting as early as 1917. It is often considered the first and most cohesive literary
movement of Black America, but was more than that: as a cultural phenomenon, the Harlem Renaissance revealed the
close relationship between literary endeavors, on one hand, and political and social aesthetics, on the other. In this class,
we will explore the contours of the Harlem Renaissance, toward understanding what preceded and prompted the
movement, what/who were its defining characters, and what impact and significance does it impart to African-American
and other American literary and cultural traditions. As an interdisciplinary class, we will first study the Harlem
Renaissance largely through secondary texts (nonfiction prose including essays, newspaper articles, historical accounts)
that articulate the competing ideologies of the movement; then we will examine the ways central literary works of the
period exhibit, define and even challenge the social moment of Black vogue.
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You do not need to have an extensive background in African-American literature or cultural history to benefit from or be of benefit to this class. However, as this class is a colloquium, I will expect that students be generally familiar with African-American literature and some of its major issues, especially those in this (20th) century. You will be expected to contribute to classroom conversations, and to the larger body of classroom scholarship through your presence, written and oral work, and overall generosity towards others in the classroom community. Assignments include two papers, and two presentations (one brief in nature). Texts:
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