Arna Bontemps, like his close friend Langston Hughes and their fellow Harlem Renaissance authors, examined the African-American experience in a number of genres. He expanded and conserved black culture's cultural history as a poet, writer, historian, anthologist, and archivist. His work helped bring attention to racial issues within the United States. Bontemps was born on January 4th, 1875 in Greensboro, North Carolina. His father was French American and his mother was African American. When he was only nine years old, his family moved to Washington, D.C.. There he attended public schools and Howard University, where he learned to write and speak well while earning degrees in literature and music. After graduating in 1897, Bontemps took a job with the government working on race relations projects throughout the country. In 1902, he married Grace Naylor, who worked as a schoolteacher. They had two children together: John Jr., who died when he was young; and Carolyn. In 1908, Bontemps returned to New York City where he began writing articles for various publications including The Voice, a newspaper that focused on African-American affairs. He also wrote poems, stories, and essays for other magazines such as The Crisis, The Independent, and Vanity Fair.