American Biography

One visual artist associated with the movement was William Henry Johnson, a painter whose vivid colors and narrative images portrayed many aspects of African-American life. This piece, entitled “Blind Singer,” uses bright colors and simple shapes, two hallmarks of Johnson’s painting.

This picture shows an African-American soldier leaving his family and going off to war. Fighting in World War I and World War II was a major issue within the African-American community, since African Americans were expected to fight for their country even though they faced inequality and segregation at home.

Segregation in housing was widespread throughout much of the 20^th century. Although this court case made it illegal for a city to tell African-Americans where they could and could not live, it did not prevent individual homeowners from refusing to sell houses to African-Americans because of their race. As a result, African-Americans and other non-white people were forced to live in segregated neighborhoods. Neighborhoods like Harlem were often the only areas where African Americans could find housing.

This image shows a Harlem dance club in the 1940s. The Harlem Renaissance was not limited to the work of visual artists such as Johnson; it also included poetry, literature, music, and dance.

The Harmon Foundation was one of several organizations that supported African-American communities. They funded public works projects, offered scholarships, and granted awards for outstanding achievement in various fields. William H. Johnson received one of the prestigious Harmon Foundation awards for his art in 1929. In this letter, Countee Cullen thanks the Harmon Foundation for giving him their literature award.