From School Library Journal
Grade 9 Up--Originating in the Great Migration of African Americans from the rural South to urban centers in the North and Midwest, the Harlem Renaissance flourished in new ideas in political thought; artistic achievements in the theater, music, literature, and the visual arts; and the establishment of civil rights organizations, unions, and other associations. This encyclopediais a comprehensive alphabetical listing of more than 370 topics that exemplify this movement. Each entry is followed with suggestions for further reading. Appendixes include a glossary of Harlem Renaissance slang; 12 maps including those of the Confederate states, the Great Migration, and New York City; and a list of museums and centers that feature works from the period. The black-and-white photographs are primarily of individuals and there are occasional reproductions of artwork. The illustrations vary in quality, but do add to the text. Previous knowledge of the period, such as that found in Ann Graham Gaines's The Harlem Renaissance in American History (Enslow, 2002) or Veronica Chambers's The Harlem Renaissance (Chelsea, 1997), would help students use this encyclopedia effectively.--Ann Joslin, Erie County Public Library, PA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
Although numerous reference works contain significant entries on the Harlem Renaissance, this is the first encyclopedia devoted to the movement. Entries are ordered alphabetically and cover famous names (Duke Ellington, Ralph Ellison, Zora Neale Hurston); influential organizations (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Universal Negro Improvement Association); popular black magazines and newspapers
(Amsterdam News, Chicago Defender, Pittsburgh Courier) ; musicals
(Hot Chocolates, How Come?) ; notable places ancillary to the awakening in Harlem (Chicago, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C.); and other topics
(Howard University, Patrons, Rent party). Entries on nonblack people who had an effect on the time period, like Fiorella LaGuardia, illustrate the comprehensiveness of the volume.
Most entries are half a page, though some stretch over a few pages. The volume is liberally filled with photos and graphics that bring the time period to life. All entries are followed by a further reading list. Additionally, there is a compiled bibliography at the end of the book. Cross-references are plentiful and helpful. A brief (three-page) foreword, entitled "Race, Blackness, and Modernism during the Harlem Renaissance," provides a historical context and background for the entries, as does the introduction, "Black Phoenix Rising."
A "Glossary of Harlem Renaissance Slang" in appendix A defines terms such as dogs (feet) and kicks (shoes). Appendix B contains maps delineating subjects like African American population, states with laws banning interracial marriage, and train routes used to migrate northward. Even a somewhat detailed map of Harlem is provided. A chronology begins in 1619, when the first slaves came to Virginia, and continues up until the present day. Indexing is detailed but not comprehensive; the index entry Talented Tenth, for example, misses the references to "Talented Tenth" in the W. E. B. DuBois entry.
Overall, this is a fine resource--one could read it like a book, from cover to cover. Recommended for high-school, public, and academic libraries. RBB
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
![[Start the discussion]](http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/x-locale/communities/discussion_boards/start-new-discussion-sec._V192250339_.gif){kind=small}
