Harlem Renaissance with Jennifer Baker (Online Only) — Sold Out

This reading group has reached its capacity. To join the waitlist, please email Allison Escoto at [email protected].

---

Meeting Dates:
1/30, 2/20, 3/20

Among one of the most well-known and referenced periods showcasing Black artists, the Harlem Renaissance also leaves an indelible mark in history thanks to notable contributions to the Literary Canon. Zora Neale Hurston, Nella Larsen, Langston Hughes, Claude McKay, and many more created community and a foundation through their art, solidifying a necessary platform for Black thought and creation.

The Harlem Renaissance was not only an artistic eruption but one that had far-reaching efforts in creators’ everyday lives where politics, personas, and the page weren’t mutually exclusive. What imprint did work from the Harlem Renaissance leave on our understanding of the 1920s and 30s? How did these artists foresee what was to come, not only in their work, but in society? What narrative styles speak to readers in the execution of these works? Were artists of the time holding themselves and others accountable for where the world would go through their characters’ journeys? This reading group will pose these kinds of questions and more, along with looking at themes ranging from locale to relationships (familial, romantic, and interpersonal) to voice.

Works to be discussed include:

• Session I: Barracoon by Zora Neale Hurston
• Session II: Black No More by George S. Schuyler
• Session III: Quicksand by Nella Larsen

Participants should read Barracoon in preparation for the first discussion. (A new work will be the focus at each meeting.)