Interpret the Evidence
According to the editors of The Messenger, what made the New Negro different from earlier black activists (Document 21.11)?
Why do you think Marcus Garvey received such strong support among African Americans (Document 21.12)? Which of his goals likely had the broadest appeal? Why did many whites and blacks criticize his ideas and demands?
How would you characterize Langston Hughes’s relationship to Africa (Document 21.13)? How does he appeal to history to lend insight into the experiences of Africans in America?
How does Jean Toomer use poetry to describe larger trends in the lives of African Americans in the South (Document 21.14)?
How do Bessie Smith’s lyrics expose the difficulties African Americans, particularly women, faced in their everyday lives (Document 21.15)?
Where can you see evidence of the idea of the New Negro in these documents?
Put It in Context
Why did the Harlem Renaissance flourish in the 1920s?
What can poems and songs tell us about African American history, or history in general?