Essay- "When the Negro was in Vogue" by Hughes

[Ms. Knarr]

docs.google.com/View?id=dczdstfg_178fsx4p8hr

Read the essay seen here.

[anniepirone]

1. Once I had finished reading this essay, I had to think for a while what the true meaning of it is. Although one can never know the exact meaning or idea an author is trying to convey to his readers, I believe that Langston Hughes' message coincides well with the era of the Harlem Renaissance. During that era, the African American race was excelling in the literary movement, and making a name for themselves. For this reason, Harlem had became a popular tourist attraction, attracting many white tourists and their families. Due to this, I believe that the purpose of this essay is to explain how Harlem had became a popular tourist attraction for white tourists during the 1920s, which had taken away from the African American's private and comfortable environment where they could freely express themselves through the arts. One literary device.. or more so style, that I had noticed in this passage is Hughes' casual style that he had written in; almost as if he was having a conversation with someone.
2. After reading this passage, I didn't really like this piece. I felt that Hughes had written this passage "too casually" (if that makes sense). I feel that this passage had a cryptic meaning. Initially I couldn't really understand it, and I was confused about where Hughes was going with this essay. Overall though, I did learn a lot about the culture and idols during the 1920s.
3. 1Do you think Harlem Renaissance would have lasted longer if Harlem hadn't became such a tourist attraction?
2 How did the white tourists effect the Harlem Renaissance?
3 Were African Americans accepting of the white tourists?
4 What did you think of Hughes' writing style?

[caileighidell]

1. Like Annie, I also had to take a moment after reading this essay to realize the message that Hughes was trying to share in his writing. I then realized that Hughes seemed to write this essay to simply give the reader a taste of what entertainment was like during the Harlem Renaissance. This entertainment, as Annie wrote above, included much participation from many talented African Americans. At this time these talented African Americans began receiving more well deserved recognition for their work which soon skyrocketed into utter success.

2. This piece did not affect my outlook on anything having to do with life but instead gave me a better view of what the entertainment world during the Harlem Renaissance. Particularly, I was able to learn more clearly how much of an affect African Americans truly had on the style of entertainment at that time. I enjoyed Hughes' essay for both this reason as well as the fact that I was able to receive an appreciation for the culture of the Harlem Renaissance.

3.(answering question 3) From reading this essay I feel as though African Americans were not happy with the white tourists. It seems as though they felt that these white tourists were technically stepping in on their territory. Although they did not fight the white tourists, these African Americans did not appreciate them taking over their only means of entertainment.

4.(my question) *Why did the white tourists not even think twice about taking over the Cotton Club?

[elineal]

1. I differ a bit in what I feel the meaning of this essay is. I think Hughes, looking back on the 1920's, was trying to express what changed for African Americans throughout the 1920's due to the Harlem renaissance. He says that this new art form became so popular to the wrong culture that it shaped the outcome of some of these writers and musicians and sometimes ruined their integrity.

2. I enjoyed the piece because it gave me a new look on an artists' growth and evolution. Why the changed their styles so drastically does, in part, comes from the people who view their work the most weather it was meant for them or not. I find this true in modern music and literature and now I understand it clearer.

3.
(Answering question 2) I think the white tourists had a great effect on the Harlem Renaissance due to the fact artists who wanted more popularity would alter their style to the new influx of tourists.

4. Do you thing Hughes was effect by the white tourists?

[darbycasey]

1. I agree with annie and caileigh. I think Hughes was trying to show us how blacks and whites came together through the arts. It is a great representation of what the Harlem Renisance period was like. Here we see that during this time period was when African Americans began to be noticed for their various talents in the arts. Therefore, it seemed to be the popular thing to be an African American artist. I believe Hughes point in writing this essay was to show us something that broght blacks and whites together during a time of segregation.

2. I like this piece because Hughes brought to the surface a point of unity for blacks and whites. Meanwhile, in many other poems or stories we've only seen the negative side of these hard times, but here Hughes shows us a point where everything began to change. Like Eli said, I think we can still see this idea present today in the arts. The arts seem to be a bonding topic for people of all races and backgrounds.

3. I think Hughes may have been slightly effected by white tourists, but if any thing I think it would be in a positive way. For example, if he were to change his writing a little it may have been to entertain white tourists like he mentioned in this essay. Therefore making his works more popular and appealing to a broader audience.
- Do you think African Americans minded the white audiences?

[veronicapuzio]

1. I agree with Annie when she said that during the Harlem Renaissance, Blacks were trying to make a name for themselves. But I think that the overall meaning is that this art that they created was something that could not be taken away from them because it was part of their heritage. For example, it said that many blacks were not permitted entry into certain clubs, but soon closed because the attraction was the flood of colored people anxious to enter. This was their culture, and no Jim Crow law could take away their culture. It was a good era when whites wrote about blacks in a positive light, more positive than the blacks saw themselves.

2. Overall, I really liked the piece. It was brilliant the way the author presented the African American in a positive way. It has been a change in reading this essay because unlike the other pieces I read, each one of them showed how the blacks were discriminated against. In this one, it shows the blacks in a positive light. It said that even whites appreciated the art that the blacks produced.

3. Answering Darby's question: I don't think that the African Americans minded the white audiences because if the whites started to like the music and art, it would be one step closer the black liberation. The whites would praise the African Americans and even want to be closer to them for their entertainment. However, some of the blacks might not have liked the white audiences because they do not think it was fair that they treated them so poorly, but then the blacks let them come listen to their music. So, i believe it was based on the attitude of the person.
my (Q): Do you think the Cotton Club should have been closed down earlier ?

[briannashreve]

1. I agree with Darby, that Hughes was trying to show how blacks and whites did come together during this time period. In my opinion, Hughes used this piece to talk about how being African-American was basically an in-fashion thing during the Harlem Renaissance, so white people would submerge themselves in the culture to feel hip. However they would never truly see how the African-Americans lived in Harlem, only what their clubs and cabarets looked like. The Harlemites were "animals in a zoo" to the growing crowd of white people.

2. I really liked reading this essay. It gave me a new view of the Harlem Renaissance. Not only was it a time that African-Americans embraced their culture, many white people also developed a fondness of their culture. I liked how casually it was written, so it felt very personal. It was hard to understand at first, but once you thought about the message behind it, it became clear.

3. (Answering Annie's question #1)
I think that the Harlem Renaissance was not effected by the tourist attraction that Harlem became. Since being African-American was in vogue at that time, the American attention and attraction to Harlem was bound to fade at some point in time.

My question: Could you say that Langston Hughes had an elitist attitude towards white people from reading this essay?

[allisoncorchado]

1. I can see where both sides are coming from. The piece starts off by speaking about how astonishing all the African American showtime life was with the "Shuffle Along" and how Harlem had become a oasis for blacks to let lose and emphasize their culture. However, later on Hughes goes into further detail about the white interaction that had come into play. Now the question is, was this a good or bad thing? It was a good thing when looking at how the whites began to grow a bigger appreciation for the African American culture and talents and also help them to use these talents to go on to bigger and better things. Its a bad thing when looking at it in terms of how blacks began to transform their culture to coincide with the white culture a bit better. The Harlem Renaissance was a remarkable period created by the African American Culture, so then when you think about it where do the whites belong in it? their main purpose should've been to appreciate the culture and to help "sponsor" the African American artists, not to change them, which is the point i think Hughes was trying to make.

2. I liked this piece because it showed an aspect of African American life that was happy and how they were able to have fun and be themselves. In other pieces that speak of African American life i feel like they focus mainly on their hardships, which is what makes them unique, but is still disheartening. I liked reading this because it showed a time where the blacks were at the top where whites wanted to be around them and were almost superior instead of inferior.

3. Response to Darby's question- I think that the African Americans liked the white audiences as long as they were respecting them and not making fun of them. I think they would've liked them there because its their way of showing them what their capable of and how talented they really are. However, I will not reject the fact that they believed it was unfair for whites to come into their clubs when they were not allowed to go int the whites. My Question- Do you think it was harder or easier for African Americans to flourish in the arts after Harlem had died down and became so commercial?

[jthimelrick]

1. The overall meaning of this essay was to show how entertainment evolved for both blacks and whites during the Harlem Renaissance. The Harlem Renaissance came about because it was meant to entertain African Americans in their own way. Before this time, black people didnt have the chance to express themselves through the arts, but once the Harlem Renaissance came the opportunities for African Americans grew. But once white people began to see how good some of these performers were, they started to become involved in what originally was a black only revolution. By the end of the 1920's, the Harlem Renaissance had died out after many years of great improvements.
2. I liked this essay because it showed a side of the Harlem Renaissance that you don't normally think of. It shows how white people of that time also became involved in something that was really only meant for African Americans. Black people of this time finally had a way for them to express themselves and seeing how that all became jeopardized because some people wanted to sell out to entertain white people makes it a much sadder piece.
3. (answering Annie's 2nd question) White tourists effected the Harlem Renaissance because as more and more white people began to see the results of the Renaissance, the more Black poets and writers changed their style to be better liked by white people, which eventually hurt their popularity.
(my question) How would the Harlem Renaissance have changed if white people didnt become so involved?

[adamzaha]

1. This essay to me meant that back during the Harlem Renaissance Black culture was very popular. There was also a mention where the whites would come just to see the Blacks enjoying themselves, and watch the Black entertainment. Also, the essay mentions that some clubs started to only allow whites in which drove down the attendance because the whites came to watch the Black people. This shows that at a certain point in time the African American culture was more popular then the white culture. There were no literary devices that i could see.

2. I liked this essay because it showed that the whites were starting to not be so anti- Black culture. This shows that slowly people were starting to accept that eventually they will be living together in unity. I feel like this essay gave an overall positive feeling towards integration between Blacks and whites even though it was only in clubs it was a start to something bigger.

3. Answering JT- I think the Harlem Renaissance would not have been as famous if the whites didn't intervene just because it was known for the whites and the Blacks coming together to watch the same show or concert.
My Question- Why do you think he spent so much time talking about Gladys Bentley?

[hugozazzarini]

1. In my opinion I believe this essay is about the Harlem renaissance and how Langston Hughes feels about it. Judging by his tone it seems as if he is somewhat disappointed with what has happened with the Harlem renaissance stating at first it was the blacks own way of expressing themselves and soon it became a tourist attractions for the whites. He also takes the time to talk about entertainment during this era, which was a result of the work put in by the blacks that were around during this period of time.
2. Overall, I really don't have any emotion towards this piece. This essay was very informative however and it showed me and taught me more about the Harlem renaissance, showing how the African Americans role during this era played a part in the entertainment. I liked this essay as I found it very interesting because I was able to learn more about the Harlem renaissance and the many people that had a large part during it.
3. (Annie's 2nd question) According to Hughes, the white tourists had a negative role as some black club owners would bar their own kind in order to get the whites to come in to their clubs. He also felt that the white tourists also caused many black writers to change and distort their works in order to entertain the whites.
My question: Do you think that the whites caused Langston Hughes to distort his writing?