Discussion Questions

1) How do various authors in The New Negro represent the cultural life of Harlem? Do some represent it more positively than others?

2) Focusing on the work of Rudolph Fisher, Langston Hughes, or James Weldon Johnson, discuss the relationship between American and African American identity. How does the author characterize African-Americans' unique contribution to modern American culture?

3) Several of the authors in The New Negro contemplate the impact of jazz on modern American life. What do they say about this?

4) How important is the urban locale to the music, art, and literature of the Harlem Renaissance?

5) How does Langston Hughes' or Claude McCay's vision of Americanism compare to that of D.W. Griffith?

More Discussion Questions -- Jazz and Blues Music

1. What do the jazz performances of Mamie Smith and Bessie Smith share in common? What gender and sexual tensions do their performances reflect?

2. During the 1920s, many Americans enthusiatically referred to their cultural moment as "the Jazz Age." Based on the songs that you have heard, what explains the immense appeal of jazz music in the 1920s?

3. Based on the materials you have examined this week, how would you characterize the relationship between jazz performers and the artists and intellectuals of the Harlem Renaissance?

4. In appreciating the cultural significance of a popular musical genre like classic jazz, is it sufficient to listen to the songs of specific performers? What else might we need to know about the performance context in order to assess the cultural significance of jazz?