Harlem History Guide Document
Harlem History Guide
A Visual Guide to the Harlem Renaissance
✍️
Langston Hughes
Writer & Poet
1901—1967
Who he was: He was a boy who loved books. He moved to Harlem to write poems about Black life.
Famous for: Writing poems that sound like music and tell the truth.
📖
Zora Neale Hurston
Storyteller
1891—1960
Who she was: She grew up in Florida. She loved to listen to people's stories and write them down.
Famous for: Writing stories about strong Black women and folk tales.
🎓
W.E.B. Du Bois
Leader & Teacher
1868—1963
Who he was: He was a very smart man who went to Harvard. He fought for fair rules for everyone.
Famous for: Starting the NAACP to help protect Black people's rights.
🎹
Duke Ellington
Musician & Leader
1899—1974
Who he was: He was a king of the piano! He led a big Jazz band in Harlem.
Famous for: Writing over 1,000 songs that people love to dance to.
🎺
Louis Armstrong
Musician
1901—1971
Who he was: They called him "Satchmo." He played the trumpet and sang with a scratchy voice.
Famous for: His big smile and for making Jazz music famous everywhere.
🎨
Aaron Douglas
Painter
1899—1979
Who he was: He used paint to show how strong and beautiful Black people are.
Famous for: Painting big, colorful pictures on the walls of buildings in Harlem.
✒️
Claude McKay
Poet & Immigrant
1889—1948
Who he was: He moved from Jamaica to Harlem. He wrote about standing up for yourself.
Famous for: Writing strong poems that made people feel proud.
📜
Countee Cullen
Poet
1903—1946
Who he was: He was a very smart student in Harlem who wrote beautiful poems in school.
Famous for: Winning many awards for his writing when he was very young.
Places & Times
The Great Migration
When families moved from the South to the North for a better life and better jobs.
Harlem Renaissance
A golden time in New York when Black art and music became famous all over the world.
Jazz
A fun, fast kind of music with horns and piano that started in Black communities.
The Great Depression
A very hard time when many people lost their money and their jobs across the country.
Harlem Renaissance Study Guide
