"The new Negro movement" during the 1920's, that later became known as the Harlem Renaissance. The Harlem Renaissance brought out powerful works of music, art, and literature. This movement also inspired brand new expressions in the Negro community. Thanks to the work of many African American writers the Harlem Renaissance was created. The writers wrote such things as Poetry, prose, plays, and novels. The literature they wrote ranged in subject, but race and racial identity was one of the common themes that many Harlem Renaissance authors wrote about. During this time period there were many authors such as Anne, Spencer, Claude McKay, and Angelina Grimke.
Women writers also had a big impact during the Harlem Renaissance and one of these women was Anne Spencer. One of her brilliant and arguably her most powerful poems was that entitled "White things". In this poem she expresses that the world is made up of colors such as the earth, sky, and sea. She says that white things are so rare, but white people are the only ones that have any kind of freedom. She says that white men stole to get what they wanted, but now African Americans are coming back to get the respect and freedom that they deserve. .
Another powerful female writer during this period was Angelina Grimke. One of her most famous poems was "the black finger". in this poem she expresses that African Americans are beautiful people. She reflects that they are sensitive and exquisite people. Who are striving for the same things as Caucasians. .
Claude McKay was one of the most well known figures during the Harlem Renaissance. His poem "if we must die" was published in 1919 and was one of the very first poems initiating the tone, subject, and matter of the literary movement. As the poem suggests, believed that it was the poets duty to politically inform the people. While he was still alive, he often spoke out against and wrote about the institutionalized racism of the governments in some of the worlds most powerful countries.