Claude McKay

And we're back.

On Broadway by Claude McKay, 1922.

Above me, young and careless feet, linger along this garish street.

Above a hundred shouting signs shed down their bright, fantastic glow.

From playhouse, cabaret, and inn, the rainbow lights ablaze, all gay without all glad within, as in a dream I stand and gaze.

At Broadway, shining Broadway, only my heart, my heart is lonely.

Claude McKay, originally named Festus Claudius McKay, was born on September 15, 1890 in Jamaica.

He attended both Kansas State College and the Tuskegee Institute before moving to New York City in 1914.

These elements contributed greatly to the creation of a new identity for African-Americans.

And with the new writings of Langston Hughes, Claude McKay, Zora Neale Hurston, African-Americans were beginning or becoming in vogue during this period of the 20th century.

The audience's taste was developing and evolving to reflect the many voices of African American expression, and these voices were playing out in a concentrated form in Harlem during the 1920s.

Harlem became the Mecca for this new renaissance of African American expression.

So Cyril Briggs, the African Blood Brotherhood, I'm, I won't go down that rabbit hole, but they were another Black nationalist organization at this time, more so allied with the Communist Party.

And many groups, what they were trying to do during this period, less so Randolph at a certain point, but communists especially, um, also people like Claude McKay, who, Harlem Renaissance poet, wrote "If We Must Die," which people are probably familiar with.

They kind of recognized that Garvey has won over the masses, and they were thinking, "How can we kind of latch onto this energy?" And then the African Blood Brotherhood was kind of thinking, "Well, if we attach ourselves to the UNIA, maybe we can get members out of it.

Maybe we can kind of capitalize on what's going on here." Um, but they were-- they became burned very badly by Garvey.

Um, you know, so it's not like this was a democratic decision on the continent.

Um, and, and Randolph would point that out, that, like, he thinks he'll just, like, go over to Africa and people will willingly submit to his rule.

Um, Claude McKay also said the same thing.

Um, and you know, Randolph, I think, deserves credit for During this period of the early 1920s, there wasn't much to point to as far as success of Black workers in unions, of, of socialism.

As for the special part of the Negro in the war, importance attaches to Dr. Emmett J. Scott's official history of the American Negro in the World War, Washington, 1919.

While in biography outstanding is Robert Russell Motens, Finding a Way Out, Doubleday, Page & Company, Garden City, New York, 1920. a work written in modest vein and forming a distinct contribution to the history of the times Of those poets who have come into prominence within the period now under review, first place must undoubtedly be given to Claude McKay.

This man was originally a Jamaican and his one little book was published in London, but for the last several years he has made his home in the United States and his achievement must now be identified with that other race in this country.

He has served a long apprenticeship in writing, has a firm sense of form, and only time can now give the full measure of his capabilities.

He also gave financial assistance to aspiring writers.

His involvement in the cultural life of Harlem led to friendships with such talented writers as Langston Hughes and Claude McKay.

Schomburg also admired the work of the Honorable Marcus Mosiah Garvey.

who believed that blacks should be independent and establish their own businesses and institutions.

Yeah.

Um, one of the things I wish Jamaican schools would stop teaching is bad Claude McKay

That's assuming there's good Claude McKay

Well, I can't speak on that because I'll be shot-

No, no, I'm not s-

Actually, Bishop, Elizabeth Bishop

Mm-hmm

Um, but you know, I remember the, reading, um, reading this poem from Claude McKay, and one of the line was, "Duly bedecked and softly speaking, do you dream of me tonight?" It's about a flower, by the way

You have so many different writers that came out.

Claude McKay, and they talked about the things that were not fair.

And it's a voice of courage that a lot of times will be expressed because the traditional platforms are not available to marginalized people.

But the

He also gave financial assistance to aspiring writers.

His involvement in the cultural life of Harlem led to friendships with such talented writers as Langston Hughes and Claude McKay.

Schomburg also admired the work of the honorable Marcus Messiah Garvey, who believed that blacks should be independent and establish their own businesses and institutions.

Schomburg contributed articles to Garvey's Negro World newspaper and gave him historical items from his vast collection on black history.

Everyone should go read it.

I'm looking at the Wikipedia page, and Claude McKay shows up in this book, so yeah, this is a, this is a book for me.

[laughs]

[laughs] Um, and then it was my birthday last weekend when we were recording this.