AP African American Studies: The Harlem Renaissance & Africa 🌍

Hey! Let's get you totally prepped for your AP exam. We're going to break down the Harlem Renaissance's relationship with Africa, making sure you're not just memorizing facts but truly understanding the connections. Think of this as your ultimate cheat sheet for tonight!

The Harlem Renaissance and Africa: An Overview

Connecting the Dots 🔗

• The Harlem Renaissance wasn't just about cool jazz and fancy parties; it was a deep dive into identity, heritage, and cultural roots for African Americans.
• It was a direct response to the trauma of European colonialism and the transatlantic slave trade. 🤯
• Think of it as a quest to answer: "What does it mean to be both African and American?"

Key Questions & Conflicts 🤔

• Identity: Who are we? Where do we belong?
• Cultural Roots: How do we connect with a heritage that was systematically erased?
• Colonialism: How do we respond to the negative stereotypes imposed on Africa?

Africa in Harlem Renaissance Thought

Embracing vs. Detaching 💖💔

• Some artists and writers embraced Africa as a source of pride and sought to reclaim their heritage.
• Others felt disconnected due to the forced separation and assimilation in America.
• It wasn't a simple "love it or leave it" situation; it was complex and personal.

Creative Expressions 🎨✍🏾

• Poetry: Langston Hughes and Countee Cullen weaved African themes and imagery into their verses.
  • Example: Langston Hughes' "The Negro Speaks of Rivers" celebrates ancient African civilizations.
  • Example: Countee Cullen's "Heritage" questions the meaning of Africa for African Americans.
• Art: Aaron Douglas and Palmer Hayden depicted African landscapes and cultural motifs.
  • Example: Aaron Douglas' "Into Bondage" portrays the horrors of the slave trade.
  • Example: Palmer Hayden's "The Janitor Who Paints" highlights the creative spirit of everyday African Americans.

Aaron Douglas' "Into Bondage" depicts the horrors of the slave trade.

Palmer Hayden's "The Janitor Who Paints" highlights the creative spirit of everyday African Americans.

Practice Question

Multiple Choice:

1. Which of the following best describes the Harlem Renaissance's approach to African heritage? (A) A complete rejection of African roots in favor of American assimilation. (B) A uniform embrace of African culture and traditions. (C) A complex and varied exploration of connections and disconnections with Africa. (D) A focus solely on the negative impacts of colonialism on African identity.

2. Langston Hughes' "The Negro Speaks of Rivers" is significant because it: (A) Criticizes the legacy of slavery in America. (B) Celebrates the ancient civilizations of Africa. (C) Focuses on the struggles of urban life in Harlem. (D) Expresses a sense of alienation from African heritage.

Short Answer:

How did the Harlem Renaissance artists use their work to challenge the negative stereotypes about Africa that were prevalent in Western colonial narratives?

Countering Stereotypes

Challenging the Narrative 🙅🏾‍♀️

• Harlem Renaissance poets directly challenged the negative stereotypes of Africa as "primitive" or "uncivilized".
• They fought back against the racist caricatures and pseudoscientific theories that dehumanized African people.
• They used their art to reclaim the narrative and show the beauty, diversity, and humanity of Africa.

Poetic Revisions ✍🏾

• Langston Hughes: Emphasized the ancient civilizations along Africa's great rivers (Nile, Congo).
• Claude McKay: Portrayed Africa as a nurturing "motherland" that welcomes back its children.
• They aimed to show Africa's inherent worth and its contributions to world civilization. 💡

African American Identity and Heritage

Introspection & Belonging 🤔

• Poets explored the complex relationship between African American identity and African heritage.
• They grappled with questions of belonging, authenticity, and cultural memory.
• They reflected on the psychological impact of being descendants of enslaved Africans.

Diverse Perspectives 🗣️

• Some expressed longing for a lost connection to Africa as the ancestral homeland.
  • Example: Countee Cullen's "Heritage" asks, "What is Africa to me?"
• Others celebrated the resilience and beauty of African features.
  • Example: Gwendolyn Bennett's "To a Dark Girl" celebrates African features.
• Some interrogated the tensions of being both African and American.
  • Example: Claude McKay's "Outcast" expresses alienation from both Africa and America.
  • Example: Jean Toomer's "Song of the Son" grapples with the duality of being both African and American.

Affirming Heritage 💪🏾

• Harlem Renaissance poets affirmed the importance of African heritage as a source of pride, strength, and cultural identity.
• They challenged the idea that African Americans had to assimilate into white culture to be successful.

Required Sources 📚

"Heritage" by Gwendolyn Bennett, 1922

• A powerful expression of African American identity and cultural pride.
• Celebrates the rich ancestral legacy of Black Americans, connecting their present experiences to their African roots.
• Highlights the importance of cultural memory and self-affirmation.
• Exemplifies the literary and artistic contributions of Black women during the Harlem Renaissance.

If we must die, let it not be like hogs Hunted and penned in an inglorious spot, While round us bark the mad and hungry dogs, Making their mock at our accursèd lot. If we must die, O let us nobly die, So that our precious blood may not be shed In vain; then even the monsters we defy Shall be constrained to honor us though dead! O kinsmen! we must meet the common foe! Though far outnumbered let us show us brave, And for their thousand blows deal one death-blow! What though before us lies the open grave? Like men we'll face the murderous, cowardly pack, Pressed to the wall, dying, but fighting back!

"Heritage" by Countee Cullen, 1925

• A seminal work exploring the complex relationship between African Americans and their African roots.
• Grapples with themes of cultural identity, racial consciousness, and the tension between ancestral heritage and American assimilation.
• Exemplifies the artistic and cultural awakening of the Harlem Renaissance.

Key Themes:

1. Distance: Questions the meaning of Africa to the speaker, highlighting the separation.
2. Instinctual Connection: Describes a deep connection to Africa through nature and tribal life.
3. Contrast: Highlights the tension between the primal connection and the speaker's current reality.
4. Internal Conflict: Explores the conflict between African heritage and American/Christian identity.
5. Power of Roots: Acknowledges the force of African roots within the speaker.
6. Loss & Disconnection: Africa is reduced to "a book one thumbs listlessly."
7. Impact of Slavery: Images of "cruel padded feet" and the inability to rest.
8. Spiritual Conflict: Desires a God who understands their struggles.
9. Coping Mechanisms: Acknowledges creating "dark gods" and a "human creed."
10. Ongoing Struggle: Recognizes the ongoing challenge of reconciling African heritage with "civilized" identity.

Practice Question

Multiple Choice:

1. Countee Cullen's "Heritage" primarily explores: (A) The beauty and tranquility of African landscapes. (B) The joy of reconnecting with African culture. (C) The internal conflict between African heritage and American identity. (D) The complete rejection of African roots in favor of American assimilation.

2. Gwendolyn Bennett's "Heritage" is significant because it: (A) Focuses on the negative impacts of colonialism on African identity. (B) Celebrates the rich ancestral legacy of Black Americans. (C) Expresses a sense of alienation from African heritage. (D) Criticizes the legacy of slavery in America.

Free Response Question:

Analyze how the poems "Heritage" by Countee Cullen and "Heritage" by Gwendolyn Bennett, along with at least one other work from the Harlem Renaissance, reflect the complex relationship between African Americans and their African heritage. In your response, be sure to:

• Identify the main themes and ideas in each work.
• Explain how these works challenge or reinforce prevailing stereotypes about Africa.
• Discuss how these works contribute to a broader understanding of African American identity and cultural heritage.

Scoring Rubric:

• Thesis (1 point): A clear and defensible thesis statement that addresses the prompt.
• Analysis of Cullen's "Heritage" (2 points): Identifies key themes, explains the internal conflict, and connects it to the broader context of the Harlem Renaissance.
• Analysis of Bennett's "Heritage" (2 points): Identifies key themes, explains the celebration of heritage, and connects it to the broader context of the Harlem Renaissance.
• Analysis of a third work (2 points): Identifies key themes, explains how it relates to the prompt, and connects it to the broader context of the Harlem Renaissance.
• Connection to stereotypes (2 points): Explains how the works challenge or reinforce stereotypes about Africa.
• Understanding of African American identity (2 points): Discusses how the works contribute to a broader understanding of African American identity and cultural heritage.
• Evidence and Support (2 points): Provides specific textual evidence and historical context to support the analysis.
• Clarity and Organization (1 point): Presents a well-organized and clearly written response.

Final Exam Focus

High-Priority Topics 🎯

• The complex relationship between African Americans and their African heritage.
• The ways in which Harlem Renaissance artists challenged stereotypes about Africa.
• The themes of identity, belonging, and cultural memory in Harlem Renaissance literature and art.
• The impact of colonialism and the transatlantic slave trade on African American identity.

Common Question Types ❓

• Multiple Choice: Expect questions that test your understanding of key themes, authors, and artworks.
• Short Answer: Be prepared to explain the significance of specific works and their connection to broader themes.
• Free Response: Practice analyzing texts and artworks, connecting them to historical context and broader themes.

Last-Minute Tips 🚀

• Time Management: Don't spend too long on any one question. Move on and come back if needed.