The Black Cultural Front: Black Writers and Artists of the Depression GenerationUniv. Press of Mississippi, 9.7.2012 - 288 sivua The Black Cultural Front describes how the social and political movements that grew out of the Depression facilitated the left turn of several African American artists and writers. The Communist-led John Reed Clubs brought together black and white writers in writing collectives. The Congress of Industrial Organizations's effort to recruit black workers inspired growing interest in the labor movement. One of the most concerted efforts was made by the National Negro Congress (NNC), a coalition of civil rights and labor organizations, which held cultural panels at its national conferences, fought segregation in the culture industries, promoted cultural education, and involved writers and artists in staging mass rallies during World War II. The formation of a black cultural front is examined by looking at the works of poet Langston Hughes, novelist Chester Himes, and cartoonist Ollie Harrington. While none of them were card-carrying members of the Communist Party, they all participated in the Left at one point in their careers. Interestingly, they all turned to creating popular culture in order to reach the black masses who were captivated by the movies, radio, newspapers, and detective novels. There are chapters on the Hughes' "Simple" stories, Himes' detective fiction, and Harrington's "Bootsie" cartoons. Collectively, the experience of these three figures contributes to the story of a "long" movement for African American freedom that flourished during the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s. Yet this book also stresses the impact that McCarthyism had on dismantling the Black Left and how it affected each individual involved. Each was radicalized at a different moment and for different reasons. Each suffered for their past allegiances, whether fleeing to the haven of the "Black Bank" in Paris, or staying home and facing the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC). Yet the lasting influence of the Depression in their work was evident for the rest of their lives. |
Kirjan sisältä
Tulokset 1 - 5 kokonaismäärästä 44
... Chicago Defender showing his longstanding interest in the Left and his deep contempt for redbaiting. On Himes, I examine an early version of the novel that was to become If He Hollers Let Him Go (1945) explaining the main character's ...
... Chicago Defender to promote his new book, Himes praised the Soviet Union and spoke positively about the labor movement. Indeed, many black writers looked to the Soviet Union as a land free from poverty and racial discrimination. Yet ...
... Chicago Defender, his regular speaking tours, and his powerful poetry. Anticommunist crusaders Aimee Semple McPherson in California and Gerald L. K. Smith in the Midwest forced cancellations of Hughes's speaking engagements. In 1953, he ...
... (Chicago Defender), Wilbert Holloway (Pittsburgh Courier), Ollie Harrington (Amsterdam News, Pittsburgh Courier, and People's Voice), and Jackie Ormes (Chicago Defender and Pittsburgh Courier). There were a few anomalies among mainstream ...
... Chicago's WMAQ, were carried by the same station that also broadcasted Amos and Andy. Sponsored by the Chicago Defender, Durham's weekly radio program featured shows on important individuals from black history like Crispus Attucks ...
Muita painoksia - Näytä kaikki
The Black Cultural Front: Black Writers and Artists of the Depression Generation Brian Dolinar Rajoitettu esikatselu - 2012 |
The Black Cultural Front: Black Writers and Artists of the Depression Generation Brian Dolinar Esikatselu ei käytettävissä - 2012 |