Think about whether the renaissance that happened in Harlem could have occurred elsewhere.You would face the difficult question of whether of not to perform at a place that would not accept you as a guest/audience member. If you lived in Harlem, how would you have felt if you were not allowed to enter these places? If you were an artist during the Harlem Renaissance, you would need a job to earn money for food and rent. These were places that were either segregated or too expensive for lower- or middle-class blacks. Locate Connie's Inn and the Cotton Club and read about them.Who lived in these places? How did each inspire creativity? Community building? Intellectual pursuits? Political debate? Collaboration? Visit the YMCA, Dunbar Apartments, and 267 House.Which buildings are next to each other? What kinds of activities and interactions might have taken place in these locations? Click throughout the map to visit a sampling of Harlem's churches, businesses, and residences.Begin by locating the places mentioned in Myers' poem 'Harlem' (Smalls' Paradise, Abyssinian Church, Lennox Avenue, Strivers' Row etc.).As you explore, add notes to your list of unfamiliar places and people in Myer's poem 'Harlem.'Īs you explore, think about how these places reveal the spirit of Harlem-the values and interests of its residents during the Renaissance.

Here, you will get a sense of the important places that made up the neighborhood. Visit the section of this site titled A Place Called Harlem. Add notes about each person/place you learn about. As you explore this mini-site, keep your list nearby. Shoe your list to other students and ask if they can help you identify some of the items. This time, list the references to people and places with which you are unfamiliar. What moods and feelings has Myers created? Second Listening Imagine being in the Harlem that Myers describes. First Listeningĭuring your first listening, use the Listening Guide. To get a snapshot of the community, listen to the poem ' Harlem' by Walter Dean Myers, and view the illustrations, by his son, Christopher Myers. « Return to Classroom Activities Part 1: The Poem, 'Harlem'

This activity poses the question: 'Why Harlem?' What was it about Harlem that allowed it to play host to such a prolific creative movement? In turn, Harlem itself inspired an incredible array of artistic, philosophical, political, and social works, many of which were created in an attempt to capture the mood and energy of this extraordinary place. Here artists, writers, and activists came together and impacted and transformed the neighborhood. Harlem, a neighborhood in New York City, was the epicenter of African-American culture between the years of 19.

Harlem a poem walter dean myers