The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1945-03-31

Negroes arriving IN HARLEM lor tiie
first time and with many OF the
same thoughts and intentions. With
in a year or two we began 10 rec
ognize ourselves as a group" and
10 become little self-conscious
about our significance" When we
were not too busy having fun, we
were shown of and exhibited and
presented in scores Of places, 10 all
kinds Of people. And we heard
their signs Of wonder. amazement
sometimes admiration when il was
whispered or announced that here
was one of the New Negroes"
Dark Renaissance
Nothing could have been sweeter
10 young people who only a few
weeks or months earlier had been
regarded as anything but remark
able in Topeka and Cleveland and
Eatonville and Salt Lake City
yo1ns people. who more often than
otherwise, had seemed trife
whacky 10 the home folks. In Har-
lem we were seen in a beautiful
light. We were heralds OF a dawn
ing day. We were the first-born
Of the dark renaissance. We were
not just struggling artists trying
10 find ourselves.
One Of our advocates on Park
avenue made An interesting sug-
Eestion. Primitive man was
sharper, more acute in his intui-
tons. Relying always on logic
and reason, civilized man has lost
the one thing most essential. In
America the Indian and the Ne
gro are nearer to the unspoiled
primitive than are other people.
The Indians spirit Is crushed.
The Negro-well, see for your
self.
The link with the jungle was
obvious. In the little house-front
churches there vas swsying and
moaning and shouting. Wasn't that
proof? On a voodoo island such
behavior wolld be called posses
sion. Would Il be any more real or
complete than this? No, the Amcri-
can Negro, our friend insisted. vas
not quite civilized. fortunately. In
his play ard in his worship his
wildness was still apparent, In his
work and his art II had almost dis
appeared.
New Negro"
The New Negro was 10 recap
ture this definite, though some
times dim. quality in poetry. paint
ing and song. By this means he
must transmit il to all of America.
Through US. no less. America would
regain certain value that civiliza-
ton had destroyed The idea in
toxicated US. We went 10 work
zealously. and some Americans saw
the things We did.
But the New Negroes" were
keen and sensitive. or course.
none went so far a. to suggest
that there might be some thing
wrong with Harlem or that the
romantic concept that our group
had the link with the primitive.
the kew to JOY and intuitive un-
Outstanding. might be . little
far-fctched. but now and then
one Of us would say . shocking
thing. almost beyond understand
ing. remember. for example,
that one Of the Young people said
he thought II fitting that . Gre
alive artist should die Young. He
himself wanted all his world
crowded into the next few years.
He wouldn't care to live a day
beyond the age Of forty.
Something was wrong. When the
depression came and artists Of
every Kind began 10 feel the pinch.
The Harlem group was not ex-
cluded New Negroes" were scat
tered from Boston TO Florida. from
PleaSantvll.c 20 Carmel blythe Sea.
from Alabama 10 the pearly gates
4 decade passed. Twelve years.
perhaps Then some OF US thought
Ne could safely return 20 see what
had happened 10 the city That had
filled Us with song.
Harlem Different in 1912
The Harlem sc found in i9l2
and 1913 was another place. One
OF The first things 10 shock US was
the revelation that the people who
still give the area lis reputation.
the people by whom Harlem is
favorably known. do not 1--we there
any more Paul Robson and
Marian Anderson are less familiar
figures m Harlem than are Mrs.
Roosevelt; and Mayor Ia Guardia.
Richard Wright and Coun;ee Gull
len live within shooting distance.
more or less. but they are safely
removed from the sounds Of the
streets Il takes an hours journey
for either Of them to see the roof
tops ~ NeErodou F. StmmS Camp
bell and W c Handy live on quiet
hillside surrounded by trees ard
lawns There is a hill N Harlem.
a fine proud one 10 be sure. but
II is no, the same as theirs. and