When most people hear the term “Harlem Renaissance”, Black writers and entertainers come to mind. That’s not such a far-fetched idea. Ironically, one of the most influential players of the Harlem Renaissance, and the one who virtually set it in motion was a Caucasian.
Carl Van Vechten (1880-1964), was born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. His family was quite prosperous, and politically speaking, they were rather liberal. He left home at the age of 19 to attend the University of Chicago. Upon graduation, he was not excited about returning home. He opted, instead, in 1903, to go to work at the Chicago American, which was a part of the Hearst chain. After being fired for a gossip column that he wrote, he left for New York City in 1906. He made various trips abroad, was wed twice, and finally settled down in New York City. While there, he went to work for the publishing company Alfred A. Knopf. It was then that he began his “crusade” to uplift and advance the goals of African-Americans. This is where his real story all begins.
Van Vechten is known more for his photography than anything else, but after meeting such prominent writers as Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, James Weldon Johnson, and Countee Cullen, it was his intervention and coaxing that Langston Hughes’ “Weary Blues” became published by Alfred A. Knopf. Harlem became Van Vechten’s playground. He attended parties in Harlem as a regular pastime, rubbing elbows with the likes of Hughes, Cullen, Hurston, and many others. His fifth novel “Nigger Heaven” (a term used for the segregated section of movie houses where Negroes were seated) was published in 1926. By today’s standards, this novel is more than shocking. Naturally, it caused quite a stir when it was published. Although it was well-received, one of the few people who lauded the book was James Weldon Johnson. The book was a virtual peek into the lives of African-Americans encamped in Harlem. Many intimated that the book was merely an attempt at educating Van Vechten’s white readers about what goes on with the Negroes. In a review for “Opportunity” magazine, James Weldon Johnson wrote that Van Vechten’s writing “pays colored people the rare tribute of writing about them as people and not puppets”. By contrast, in “The Crisis”, W.E.B. Du Bois called it “neither truthful nor artistic”.
By 1932, Carl Van Vechten had begun to dedicate his life to photography. He photographed anyone who would sit still long enough. His portraits included all of the celebrities of the era, as well as the up and coming stars such as Harry Belafonte, Alvin Ailey, and Lena Horne. After giving up his writing career, and embracing his photography, he spent his final years in the role of philanthropist. He founded the James Weldon Johnson Memorial Collection of Negro Arts and Letters at Yale University. Later, he willed his collection of photographs to the same. He also directed that any proceeds and royalties from his books that would come posthumously were to go the James Weldon Johnson Memorial Collection of Negro Arts and Letters.
Carl Van Vechten died in his sleep on December 21, 1964.
This is blackstarr saying “Vive La Renaissance”. Peace.
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Harlem Renaissance, Carl Van Vechten, James Weldon Johnson, W E B Du Bois, Langston Hughes, Zora Neal Hurston, Countee Cullen, Bessie Smith, Ella Fitzgerald
