Red Jackson, Harlem, New York, And The Image Above

Images are more than just pictures, j-pegs or sketches. Images pass on information, ideas and meanings. In the trilogy, March, illustrator Nate Powell does an astounding job of making John Lewis’s memoir more comprehensible through his illustrations to those trying to learn about a historic time in American history. In this black and white novel about the American Civil Rights Movement, Powell's images help the reader understand the suffering of human segregation. Powell’s images also serve to define the emotions, Lewis is trying to convey. The images show how intense this time was for African Americans struggling to find their rightful place in white America. All while inspiring the readers. Quoted by booklist (stared review) “Powell

Julia faced the problem of being an outsider and wanting to blend in with her new society while, learning about new possibilities for women. Gordon faced a racist and segregated Washington D.C. and learned the only way to change it, was to use his photography skills to inform people. While their problems may have seemed different, they both originated with race/ethnicity and were solved to the best of their ability. Many of the problems that existed in the stories still exist in today’s society but, everyday another step is taken to make sure problems like these are fixed, so that future generations do not have to worry about

One the most distinguished artists of the twentieth century, Jacob Lawrence was born in Atlantic City and spnt part of his child hood in Pennsylvania. After his parents split up in 1924, he went with his mother and siblings to New York, settling in Harlem. "He trained as a painter at the Harlem Art Workshop, inside the New York Public Library's 113 5th Street branch. Younger than the artists and writers who took part in the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s, Lawrence was also at an angle to them: he was not interested in the kind of idealized, fake-primitive images of blacks - the Noble Negroes in Art Deco guise - that tended to be produced as an antidote to the toxic racist stereotypes with which white popular culture had flooded

Hank Willis Thomas’s work addresses the intersection of race, history, and visual culture. According to Thomas’ description of his own work, he states, “For me, photography was about being genuine in your approach to whoever you were trying to photograph and why. But also not being confined by notions of the truth because any time you’re dealing with photography you’re talking about the truth as something that’s subjective. Don’t limit your creativity just by what you are able to capture in the camera. Try to figure out innovative ways to work around that, if necessary” (Anonymous 112). Thomas’ innovation and creativity is apparent in Zero Hour. The artwork of the Contemporary Era is very symbolic and full of cultural importance. Through photography

At 11, Wiley’s mother enrolled him and his twin in a small art conservatory program at Cal State, and in the summer of 1989, he was sent to Russia for training in classical painting. After excelling in this program, he went on to earn his BFA from the San Francisco Art Institute and his MFA for the Yale University School of Art. Although Wiley achieved things beyond his neighborhood, he did not forget the black struggle he was familiar with growing up.

The Harlem Renaissance was a period that started in the early 1920’s in which the concept of “the Negro” was intended to be changed (History.com). This period witnessed the thrive of African American art. White stereotypes had influenced not only the way African Americans were perceived in society but also their relationship between themselves and others. Participants like Gwendolyn Bennett, Langston Hughes, Paul Lawrence Dunbar and W.E.B. Du Bois were some of many authors of creative pieces that reflected their points of views. Like George Hutchinson writes in his article, The Harlem Renaissance brought many African Americans from South to North which helped the rise of literacy and the creation of organizations dedicated to promoting African American civil rights that resulted in the uplift of the race and the availability of socioeconomic opportunities (1). The distinctive expression through things like poetry and music during the Harlem Renaissance reflected the reality and experiences black people were going through. This essay is going to focus on the relationship between poetry, politics and representation while relying on the poem “We Wear the Mark” by Paul Lawrence Dunbar. At the same time, this paper will be supported with works from Langston Hughes, Alain Locke and W.E.B. Dubois.

The Harlem Renaissance was the name given to the cultural, social, and artistic explosion that took place in Harlem, New York between the conclusion of World War I and the middle of the 1930s. During this period, Harlem was a cultural center, drawing black writers, artists, musicians, photographers, poets, and scholars. Many had come from the South, fleeing its oppressive caste system in order to find a place where they could freely express their talents; this became known as The Great Migration. Among those artists whose works achieved recognition were Langston Hughes, Claude McKay, Countee Cullen, Arna Bontemps, Zora Neale Hurston, and Jean Toomer. The Renaissance involved racial pride, fueled in part by the violence of the "New Negro" demanding civil and political rights. The Renaissance incorporated jazz and the blues, attracting whites to Harlem speakeasies, where interracial couples danced. However, the Renaissance had little impact on breaking down the rigid barriers of Jim Crow that separated the races; while it may have contributed to a certain slackening of racial attitudes among young whites, perhaps its greatest impact was to reinforce race pride among blacks. The importance of the social movement we refer to as the Harlem Renaissance cannot afford to be overlooked. Like the musicians of their day, Harlem Renaissance poets advocated for an equal society, and incorporated personal anecdotes and historical snippets into their compositions to make the

Photographs were taken to show what was going on during the civil rights movement. However, they didn’t show the full story all the time. In the book Little Rock Girl 1957,

The central photographs of the movement were the images of struggle and resistance that were widely published by the media and found their way into the homes of both black and white America. Images of violence against African Americans were integral in exposing the truth of racism to a nation of ambivalence, unknowing, and utter denial. These are the images that most associate with the movement and were a crucial element in the visual culture of the time. However, civil rights leaders and activist understood that these images could not work alone. It was important to present images that would alter the nation’s attitudes towards race, images that were radically different than photographs of protests and violence.

Growing up in Harlem, New York during the 1920’s and 30’s, James Baldwin was a young Black man desperate for a place of acceptance. Surrounded by drugs and prostitution Baldwin saw a change in his neighborhood and his friends as they got older. With his friends beginning to drink and smoke Baldwin knew times were changing. He became very aware of the body development of the girls and the boys; and to his surprise he was even more enticed by the changes in the boys (Baldwin 17). During this time, Baldwin and his friends would begin to experience the racism that White America had to offer. No longer shielded by their age or naivety they had to face the fact that they were not accepted because of their skin color. With this realization, Baldwin would begin his search to be part of something bigger then him. During a similar time period, Abraham Maslow, a Psychologist and Professor at numerous universities over his career, including Brandeis and Columbia, published a theory called “Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs” (Boeree). In this theory, Maslow describes the four most important needs for a human to be self actualized. The self actualized person is not one of perfection but one who is on a search to understand and discover why their life is the way it is, from why “their feet hurt” to if “they do not like eggplant”. They take responsibility for their actions and try to be honest people on their search to figuring out their purpose in life. Surrounded by hate and anger, Baldwin is

In case there is someone out there looking forward to become a celebrity, then he or she must be able to remain focused in life by emulating James Van Der Zee. This is a man who defied all odds and today is renowned for his great performance in photographic art. His work revolved around the culture of the Africans Americans. This artist was popular because of the way he captured the lifestyles of the middle class blacks using his camera especially during the Harlem renaissance. One of the most appealing photographs is that of the proud black couple in raccoon coats at the street of Harlem[1]. This is called “couple with Cadillac” and it was taken in 1932. Van Der Zee remains outstanding in photography despite the

In 1987, by the age of 16, Claireece Precious Jones had already endured inconceivable adversities in her young life. “Precious,” as she was called, lived with her dysfunctional, abusive, unemployed mother, Mary, in the New York City ghetto of Harlem. Mary and Precious resided in a Section 8 tenement where they survived on welfare. After being repetitively sexually abused by her own biological father, Carl, Precious became pregnant with her second child at 16 years old. Precious’ grandmother cared for her first child, Mongo, although Mary forced the family to pretend that the child lived with her and Precious so that she could receive additional funds from the government. After Precious’ pregnancy was discovered, she was forced out of the public school where she had been able to hide her illiteracy, and began attending an alternative school called “Each One Teach One.” It was at the alternative school that Precious encountered her first supportive community, as she built friendships with the other females in her GED class, as well as with her teacher, Blu Rain.

Like most of the leaders of the Harlem Renaissance, Aaron Douglass was not product of Harlem. It was in the church and in Topeka’s cohesive African-American community that he first experienced black solidarity and grasped the values of education. Earning a bachelor of fine arts degree at the University of Nebraska, and later educating in Missouri, he began to shape his masterful vision as an Africanist. He was a visionary, using African oriented imagery to shape the Harlem Renaissance. Although he had no intentions of staying in Harlem, his stop there was crucial to his career. He had his heart set on going to Paris to become and artist but, his detour to Harlem opened his eyes.

My image is about the generation of the Beats. During the post-World War II era, the term "Beats" or "beatniks" described a generation young artists like musicians and poets, who expressed themselves through abstract artwork. Their goal was to encourage non-conformity and spontaneous creativity while rebelling against the conformist middle class and rejecting traditional artistic styles. The central group of the Beat Generation authors consisted of Allen Ginsberg, William S. Burroughs, Herbert Huncke, Lucien Carr, and Jack Kerouac. Presented in the image below, Louis Armstrong was a famous trumpet player during the Beat Generation. His artistry permitted him to be socially acceptable in the American society which was highly limited for African

4. What aspects of these images by Life photographer Charles Moore transformed American sensibilities regarding civil rights? How did people like Birmingham police chief Bull Connor and organizations like the Ku Klux Klan participate in changing the hearts and minds of many American’s, if not the right to sit together on a bus?