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Introduction: The Harlem Renaissance in 2 minutes or so

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Introduction: The Harlem Renaissance in 2 minutes or so

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GUIDING QUESTIONS: What, and when, was the Harlem Renaissance?

This short video is part of the Black History in 2 Minutes (or So) series, co-created by Henry Louis Gates Jr. The interviews with Black historians are woven with archival photos and film that give information and events leading up to the Harlem Renaissance (such as The Great Migration), as well as a quick introduction to the artists and creative thinkers that came from it.
The video is accessible to 2nd graders, and/or it can be used as a cornerstone source for learning more details about the Harlem Renaissance.

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Historical overview: What Was the Harlem Renaissance?

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Historical overview: What Was the Harlem Renaissance?

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GUIDING QUESTIONS: What was the Harlem Renaissance? When, why, and how did it happen? Who were the important figures from it?

This book is part of the popular WhoHQ series, and it's included here primarily as an easily digestible resource for the teacher. However, for more advanced 2nd grade readers it can also be a great resource. After a general introduction to Harlem and a definition of "renaissance," the book's information is presented in chronological order starting with the 1910s and ending with the 1960s and beyond. It is a comprehensive resource, and has 16 photos of prominent figures from the Harlem Renaissance.

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Historic Harlem: the Sugar Hill neighborhood

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Historic Harlem: the Sugar Hill neighborhood

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GUIDING QUESTIONS: Who were the major figures from the Harlem Renaissance?

Sugar Hill is a neighborhood within Harlem where many prominent artists, authors, activists, advocates, and thinkers lived and worked. Through lyrical and poetic prose, this book gives "mini-descriptions" of dozens of folks (e.g., "Where DuBois outlines social tracts, and Thurgood Marshall plots legal attacks.") who lived and worked in Sugar Hill/Harlem.
The book is immediately accessible to 2nd graders. Each page can also serve as a launch into deeper biographies of the people mentioned.

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An Arnold Adoff Poetry Award for Early Readers Honor Book Take a walk through Harlem's Sugar Hill and meet all the amazing people who made this neighborhood legendary. With upbeat rhyming and read-aloud text, Sugar Hill celebrates the Harlem neighborhood that successful African Americans first called home during the 1920s. Children raised in Sugar Hill not only looked up to these achievers but also experienced art and culture at home, at church, and in the community. Books, music lessons, and art classes expanded their horizons beyond the narrow limits of segregation. Includes brief biographies of jazz greats Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Sonny Rollins, and Miles Davis; artists Aaron Douglas and Faith Ringgold; entertainers Lena Horne and the Nicholas Brothers; writer Zora Neale Hurston; civil rights leader W. E. B. DuBois; and lawyer Thurgood Marshall.This is a fixed-format ebook, which preserves the design and layout of the original print book.

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i Your library has reached its daily check out limit for the Always Available collection. Please check again later. An Arnold Adoff Poetry Award for Early Readers Honor Book Take a walk through Harlem's Sugar Hill and meet all the amazing people who made this neighborhood legendary.

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Entertainers: Cab Calloway and the Nicholas Brothers

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Entertainers: Cab Calloway and the Nicholas Brothers

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GUIDING QUESTION: Who were important entertainers that came out of the Harlem Renaissance?

Singer and bandleader Cab Calloway, and dancers the Nicholas Brothers, were three prominent entertainers who rose to fame during the Harlem Renaissance. This video clip from the film Stormy Weather (1943) shows their talent during what many say was the peak of their popularity.
The video is immediately accessible to 2nd graders; the entertainers' talent is wonderfully obvious!

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Jumpin Jive - Cab Calloway and the Nicholas Brothers

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Seminal works of visual art from the National Gallery of Art

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Seminal works of visual art from the National Gallery of Art

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GUIDING QUESTIONS: Who were the major artists from the Harlem Renaissance? What was some important visual works of art from the Harlem Renaissance?

These powerpoint slides from the National Gallery of Art is a comprehensive resource that brings high quality photos, historical information, and some interpretation to 16 seminal works of visual art from the Harlem Renaissance. There is also information about each artist in the notes for their respective slides.
Although the text of the informational notes are mostly accessible to the teacher, the slides are immediately accessible to 2nd graders. In addition to giving students developmentally appropriate background information, the teacher could use the slides to broaden the students' thinking and discussing of art by asking questions such as What do you see here? Why do you think that? What does it make you feel?

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Poems about a Harlem Renaissance writer: Love to Langston by Tony Medina

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Poems about a Harlem Renaissance writer: Love to Langston by Tony Medina

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GUIDING QUESTIONS: Who were important writers from the Harlem Renaissance? Who was Langston Hughes?

This is a collection of poems written about Langston Hughes, one of the most important writers from the Harlem Renaissance (and from the USA). Tony Medina wrote 14 poems about Hughes and different periods of his life, from childhood to old age. Each poem covers different feelings toward people (including himself) and places (in the poem Harlem is the Capital of my World, Medina writes that Hughes sees Harlem as "black and beautiful and bruised like me").
The poems are fairly accessible to 2nd graders, and they offer opportunities for discussion about race, family, migration, self-discovery, and general poetic interpretation.

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A collection of fourteen poems celebrates the life of Langston Hughes, one of America's greatest poets, exploring the many significant themes in his life, including his lonely childhood, his love of language and travel, and his dream of writing poetry.

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i Your library has reached its daily check out limit for the Always Available collection. Please check again later. A collection of fourteen poems celebrates the life of Langston Hughes, one of America's greatest poets, exploring the many significant themes in his life, including his lonely childhood, his love of language and travel, and his dream of writing poetry.

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Biography about another writer: Jump at the Sun by Alice D. Williams

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Biography about another writer: Jump at the Sun by Alice D. Williams

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GUIDING QUESTIONS: Who were important writers from the Harlem Renaissance? Who was Zora Neale Hurston?

This biography is a vibrant portrait of the early life and career of Zora Neale Hurston. The author follows Hurston from her childhood in Florida through her success as a writer in New York, and characterizes Hurston as tenacious as she overcomes seemingly insurmountable obstacles to pursue her dream. The lively prose uses a conversational style and is a fun, engaging read aloud. It serves as a tribute to Hurston's writing style and her work in researching and preserving African American folktales.
The book is immediately accessible to 2nd graders, and it can be used as a mentor text for a unit about folktales.

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From the Newbery Honor'winning author of Genesis Begins Again comes a shimmering picture book that shines the light on Zora Neale Hurston, the extraordinary writer and storycatcher extraordinaire who changed the face of American literature.Zora was a girl who hankered for tales like bees for honey. Now, her mama always told her that if she wanted something, "to jump at de sun", because even though you might not land quite that high, at least you'd get off the ground. So Zora jumped from place to place, from the porch of the general store where she listened to folktales, to Howard University, to Harlem. And everywhere she jumped, she shined sunlight on the tales most people hadn't been bothered to listen to until Zora. The tales no one had written down until Zora. Tales on a whole culture of literature overlooked...until Zora. Until Zora jumped.

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i Your library has reached its daily check out limit for the Always Available collection. Please check again later. From the Newbery Honor'winning author of Genesis Begins Again comes a shimmering picture book that shines the light on Zora Neale Hurston, the extraordinary writer and storycatcher extraordinaire who changed the face of American literature.Zora was a girl who hankered for tales like bees for honey.

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Entrepreneurs: Harlem Businesswoman Madam C.J. Walker

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Entrepreneurs: Harlem Businesswoman Madam C.J. Walker

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GUIDING QUESTION: Who were important businesspeople and entrepreneurs during the Harlem Renaissance?

This video is another in the Black History in 2 Minutes (or So) series, co-created by Henry Louis Gates Jr. Madam C.J. Walker was born from ex-slaves and became the first Black female self-made millionaire. It gives a history of her life, a summary of her business acumen, and how she influenced modern Black female business owners and entrepreneurs. It serves to inspire girls (specifically African American girls) to reach for their dreams!
The video is accessible to 2nd graders.

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Madame C.J. Walker: The First Black Millionairess | Black History in Two Minutes (or so)

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Modern day Harlem: Harlem Grown by Tony Hillery

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Modern day Harlem: Harlem Grown by Tony Hillery

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GUIDING QUESTIONS: How is Harlem now? What is Harlem like now?

Although this beautifully-illustrated book is not about the Harlem Renaissance, it is important for students to know that modern-day Harlem is a vibrant area. This true story tells about how a school in Harlem came together to create a beautiful garden in a vacant lot that still exists today.
The book is very accessible to 2nd graders and can easily prompt discussions about environmentalism, community beautification, and community & cultural pride.

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As featured on Humans of New York

"Hartland's joyful folk-art illustrations bop from the gray-toned jazzy vibrancy of a bustling city neighborhood to the colorful harvest of a lush urban farm." -T he New York Times
"An inspiring picture book for youngsters with meaningful ties to the environment, sustainability, and community engagement." -Booklist

​Discover the incredible true story of Harlem Grown, a lush garden in New York City that grew out of an abandoned lot and now feeds a neighborhood.
Once
In a big city called New York
In a bustling neighborhood
There was an empty lot.
Nevaeh called it the haunted garden.

Harlem Grown tells the inspiring true story of how one man made a big difference in a neighborhood. After seeing how restless they were and their lack of healthy food options, Tony Hillery invited students from an underfunded school to turn a vacant lot into a beautiful and functional farm. By getting their hands dirty, these kids turned an abandoned space into something beautiful and useful while learning about healthy, sustainable eating and collaboration.

Five years later, the kids and their parents, with the support of the Harlem Grown staff, grow thousands of pounds of fruits and vegetables a year. All of it is given to the kids and their families. The incredible story is vividly brought to life with Jessie Hartland's "charmingly busy art" (Booklist) that readers will pore over in search of new details as they revisit this poignant and uplifting tale over and over again.

Harlem Grown is an independent, not-for-profit organization. The author's share of the proceeds from the sale of this book go directly to Harlem Grown.

As featured on Humans of New York

"Hartland's joyful folk-art illustrations bop from the gray-toned jazzy vibrancy of a bustling city neighborhood to the colorful harvest of a lush urban farm." -T he New York Times
"An inspiring picture book for youngsters with meaningful ties to the environment, sustainability, and community engagement." -Booklist

​Discover the incredible true story of Harlem Grown, a lush garden in New York City that grew out of an abandoned lot and now feeds a neighborhood.
Once
In a big city called New York
In a bustling neighborhood
There was an empty lot.
Nevaeh called it the haunted garden.

Harlem Grown tells the inspiring true story of how one man made a big difference in a neighborhood. After seeing how restless they were and their lack of healthy food options, Tony Hillery invited students from an underfunded school to turn a vacant lot into a beautiful and functional farm. By getting their hands dirty, these kids turned an abandoned space into something beautiful and useful while learning about healthy, sustainable eating and collaboration.

Five years later, the kids and their parents, with the support of the Harlem Grown staff, grow thousands of pounds of fruits and vegetables a year. All of it is given to the kids and their families. The incredible story is vividly brought to life with Jessie Hartland's "charmingly busy art" (Booklist) that readers will pore over in search of new details as they revisit this poignant and uplifting tale over and over again.

Harlem Grown is an independent, not-for-profit organization. The author's share of the proceeds from the sale of this book go directly to Harlem Grown.

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As featured on Humans of New York "Hartland's joyful folk-art illustrations bop from the gray-toned jazzy vibrancy of a bustling city neighborhood to the colorful harvest of a lush urban farm." -The New York Times "An inspiring picture book for youngsters with meaningful ties to the environmen...

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Music: A playlist from the Harlem Renaissance

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Music: A playlist from the Harlem Renaissance

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17 songs that were created and/or performed by musical artists that rose during the Harlem Renaissance.

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Songs that Steered the Harlem Renaissance

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Songs that Steered the Harlem Renaissance

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Black history for kids: The ABCs of Black History by Rio Cortez

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Black history for kids: The ABCs of Black History by Rio Cortez

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This is a fun, beautifully illustrated "ABC" book about Black history. Although it's not all about the Harlem Renaissance, there is a "Harlem" entry for the letter H!
The book is readily accessible to 2nd graders (and not "beneath" them), and each entry can be used to launch deeper discussions about aspects and events from Black history and culture.

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A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
B is for Beautiful, Brave, and Bright! And for a Book that takes a Bold journey through the alphabet of Black history and culture.

Letter by letter, The ABCs of Black History celebrates a story that spans continents and centuries, triumph and heartbreak, creativity and joy.

It's a story of big ideas--P is for Power, S is for Science and Soul. Of significant moments--G is for Great Migration. Of iconic figures--H is for Zora Neale Hurston, X is for Malcom X. It's an ABC book like no other, and a story of hope and love.
In addition to rhyming text, the book includes back matter with information on the events, places, and people mentioned in the poem, from Mae Jemison to W. E. B. Du Bois, Fannie Lou Hamer to Sam Cooke, and the Little Rock Nine to DJ Kool Herc.

A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
B is for Beautiful, Brave, and Bright! And for a Book that takes a Bold journey through the alphabet of Black history and culture.

Letter by letter, The ABCs of Black History celebrates a story that spans continents and centuries, triumph and heartbreak, creativity and joy.

It's a story of big ideas--P is for Power, S is for Science and Soul. Of significant moments--G is for Great Migration. Of iconic figures--H is for Zora Neale Hurston, X is for Malcom X. It's an ABC book like no other, and a story of hope and love.
In addition to rhyming text, the book includes back matter with information on the events, places, and people mentioned in the poem, from Mae Jemison to W. E. B. Du Bois, Fannie Lou Hamer to Sam Cooke, and the Little Rock Nine to DJ Kool Herc.

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A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER B is for Beautiful, Brave, and Bright! And for a Book that takes a Bold journey through the alphabet of Black history and culture. Letter by letter, The ABCs of Black History celebrates a story that spans continents and centuries, triumph and heartbreak, creativity...

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GUIDING QUESTIONS: Who were important thinkers from the Harlem Renaissance? Who was W.E.B. Du Bois?

Britannica Kids offers three levels of entries: Kids (grades 2-5), Students (grades 6-8), and Scholars (grades 9 and up), and this link is to the Kids entry. (It's very easy to switch to other levels for more advanced readers, or for the teacher to use as a resource.) The Kids entry uses simple language, is long enough to provide an overview of Du Bois' life but short enough to be accessible for many 2nd graders. The Britannica Kids website is a reliable resource with which students can do research.

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W.E.B. Du Bois was an early leader of the civil rights movement in the United States. His goal was to win equal rights for African Americans.

William Edward Burghardt Du Bois was born on February 23, 1868, in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. He went to Fisk University and to Harvard University. He earned a doctoral degree at Harvard in 1895.

Du Bois became a professor who studied and wrote about Black life in the United States. Du Bois believed that white people would think more highly of Black people if they knew more about them.

Du Bois disagreed with Booker T. Washington, another important African American leader. Washington opposed protest as a way to change society. Du Bois believed that Blacks could achieve racial equality only through protest. His most famous book, The Souls of Black Folk, encouraged Blacks to fight inequality.

In 1905 Du Bois began organizing groups to demand equal rights for Blacks. In 1909 he helped form the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).

Late in life Du Bois lost hope that the United States could solve its racial problems. He joined the Communist Party in 1961 and moved to Ghana, in West Africa. He became a citizen of Ghana in 1963. He died there on August 27, 1963.

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W.E.B. Du Bois was an early leader of the civil rights movement in the United States. His goal was to win equal rights for African Americans. William Edward Burghardt Du Bois was born on February 23, 1868, in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. He went to Fisk University and to Harvard University.