Photo courtesy of Photograph c.1945 from State Library of Louisiana / 64parishes.org African American Poet, Author, Editor, and Librarian Arna Bontemps (1902–1973) Arna Bontemps made an indelible impact on African American folklore studies, literature, history, and cultural expression as a poet, author, editor, and librarian. Born in Alexandria, Louisiana, Arnaud (Arna) Wendell Bontemps, son of […]
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Sterling [A.] Brown, Oct. 7 #119: [cellulose acetate photonegative and contact print, 1944]. Scurlock Studio (Washington, D.C.) (photographers). Black-and-white film negatives (Series 4), Scurlock Studio Records, 1905-1994. Smithsonian Institution. African American, Federal Writers’ Project, Literature Sterling Allen Brown (1901-1989) Sterling Allen Brown was a renowned poet who documented and championed African American traditional culture in
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Photo from The Peachite Vol. II, No. 2, Folk Festival Number, March 1944. Courtesy of the Library of Congress. African American, Music, Ethnography John Wesley Work III (1901-1967) John Wesley Work III was from a family of professional musicians and folklorists who taught at Fisk University for three generations. As a scholar, he not only
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Van Vechten, Carl, 1880-1964, photographer. 1936 Feb. 29. Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, Carl Van Vechten Collection, Reproduction Number: LC-USZ62-92598 (b&w film copy neg.), LOT 12735, no. 540 [P&P] African American, Federal Writers’ Project, Literature Langston Hughes (1901-1967) Preeminent Harlem Renaissance writer James Mercer Langston Hughes made a lasting impression on American cultural
Buddhist Church Reverend Yoshio Iwanaga (Poston block 219-2-D). Photo from postonupdates.blogspot.com page on marriages at Poston II Buddhist Church. Cultural activists, choreographer, musician Reverend Yoshio Iwanaga and Helen Chizuko Okamoto Iwanaga (1900-1950) and (1914-2007) The Iwanagas established the Japanese American tradition of bon-odori, or the ritual participatory dances that are now widely practiced in Buddhist
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Photo from The Peachite Vol. II, No. 2, Folk Festival Number, March 1944. Courtesy of the Library of Congress. African American, Music, Folklore, Education Willis Laurence James (1900-1966) Willis Laurence James was a musician, composer and music director, educator, concert violinist, lecturer, folklorist, and ethnomusicologist of African American religious and secular music traditions of the
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Image from Earl K. Long Library, University of New Orleans African American, Federal Writers’ Project, Literature Marcus Bruce Christian (1900-1976) Marcus Bruce Christian directed the Negro Unit of the Louisiana Writer’s Project during the Federal Writer’s Project. Under his leadership, he and his team documented African American ex-slave expressive culture in Louisiana. Born in Terrebonne
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Image from Temple University, Urban Archives, Philadelphia, PA. African American, Folklore, Literature Arthur Huff Fauset (1899-1983) Arthur Huff Fauset was born in New Jersey in 1899. His father, Redmon Fauset, was an African American minister. His mother, Bella Huff, was Jewish. Fauset grew up in Philadelphia and earned his AB (1921), an MA (1923) and
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Photograph from the Pura Belpré Papers, Archives of the Puerto Rican Diaspora, Center for Puerto Rican Studies, Hunter College, CUNY Puerto Rican, Language, Children’s Folklore, Cultural Activism, Library Work Pura Belpré (1899-1982) Pura Teresa Belpré is remembered most notably for being New York City’s first Puerto Rican librarian, establishing and expanding the library system’s Spanish-language
