Harlem Renaissance Poetry Reading
On Tuesday, February 24, we celebrated Black History Month by reading poems from the Harlem Renaissance. The event began with an eloquent introduction by Professor Myronn Hardy (excerpted below):
“The Harlem Renaissance, 1918 to the mid 1930s was a time of
blossoming, a balm of Black visual art, music, scholarship, and
literature. It was a moment, within a neighborhood in America鈥檚
largest city, that shaped American culture, extended its reach
throughout the country, throughout the African diaspora, as well as
the world. Its influence continues to shape who we are, what art is,
what poetry is, and can be.”
Our program then included readings of the following works from this rich cultural movement:
鈥淲hat Do I Care for Morning鈥� by Helene Johnson
鈥淭heft鈥� by Esther Popel
鈥淪tars in Alabama鈥� by Jessie Redmon Fauset
鈥淭o a Certain Lady, in Her Garden鈥� by Sterling A. Brown
鈥淟ength of Moon鈥� by Arna Bontemps
鈥淟enox Avenue: Midnight鈥� by Langston Hughes
鈥淣ameless鈥� by Mae Cowdery
鈥淗eritage鈥� by Countee Cullen
鈥淪olace鈥� by Clarissa Scott Delany
鈥淕eorgia Dusk鈥� by Jean Toomer
鈥淚f We Must Die鈥� by Claude McKay
Highlights of our presenters:
A huge thank you to Professor Hardy for organizing this wonderful event, and to our students and staff for bringing the poems to life through their readings.