The Making of Harlem
Dublin Core
Title
The Making of Harlem
Creator
Johnson, James Weldon
Date
1925
Description
“It has its own churches, social and civic centers, shops, theaters and other places of amusement. And it contains more Negroes to the square mile than any other spot on earth. A stranger who rides up magnificent Seventh Avenue on a bus or in an automobile must be struck with surprise at the transformation which takes place after he crosses One Hundred and Twenty-fifth Street. Beginning there, the population suddenly darkens and he rides through twenty-five solid blocks where the passers-by, the shoppers, those sitting in restaurants, coming out of theaters, standing in doorways and looking out of windows are practically all Negroes; and then he emerges where the population as suddenly becomes white again”.
The above description was taken from a document from 1926 describing what a tourist would see and experience if they had just come into Harlem (in the lat 1920s- early 1930s). There were shops galore, which churches, shops, theaters. This is what Nettie describes when she tells Celie about New York. New York was a hub if black culture at the time, where the black renaissance was taking place. For any negro wanting to be in the center of art and ‘culture’, this was the place to be.
One the main points that the article made is that New York was changing, not in perspective of architecture, street names, or even more buildings, but in color. New York, especially Harlem, was now becoming a new location for black culture, something that was almost nonexistent before then. That was what was probably so exciting for Nettie, not only is she in a city (something she had never been too), but she was now in a place where the majority of the people were her ‘own color’. It’s also a good place for black missionaries- as the majority of people are black, and the idea of black church was growing.
The above description was taken from a document from 1926 describing what a tourist would see and experience if they had just come into Harlem (in the lat 1920s- early 1930s). There were shops galore, which churches, shops, theaters. This is what Nettie describes when she tells Celie about New York. New York was a hub if black culture at the time, where the black renaissance was taking place. For any negro wanting to be in the center of art and ‘culture’, this was the place to be.
One the main points that the article made is that New York was changing, not in perspective of architecture, street names, or even more buildings, but in color. New York, especially Harlem, was now becoming a new location for black culture, something that was almost nonexistent before then. That was what was probably so exciting for Nettie, not only is she in a city (something she had never been too), but she was now in a place where the majority of the people were her ‘own color’. It’s also a good place for black missionaries- as the majority of people are black, and the idea of black church was growing.
Contributor
Brooke Angel
Source*
Johnson, James Weldon. The Making of Harlem. 1925. <http.//: http://www.teachingcontent.org/mimik/mimik_uploads/documents/316/Johnson%20JW%20The%20Making%20of%20Harlem.pdf>. Web 26 April 2015.
Rights
Document from which item is excerpted may be in copyright (it was published after 1923). Every effort has been made to select excerpts in compliance with fair use guidelines, and to comply with the provisions of any licensing agreements associated with digitization of the original document. For further information, please see the “about” page.
Language
English
Format
Online Book
Citation
Johnson, James Weldon , “The Making of Harlem,” American Women's Bestsellers -- Spring 2015, accessed May 5, 2024, https://202s15.cesaunders.net/items/show/151.