The Harlem Renaissance in literature

Hayley DenningsFebruary 20, 2026

February is Black History Month, a time to reflect on the contributions of African Americans to the United States. It’s an annual observance that honors all Black people from all points of US history, from enslaved people taken from Africa in the early 1600s to contemporary Black people living in the United States today.We should know about and honor many moments in Black history today. One of my favorites is the Harlem Renaissance. The period lasted roughly from the 1910s through the mid-1930s and is considered a golden age in African American culture.

The history of the Harlem Renaissance

The Harlem Renaissance was the development of the Harlem neighborhood in New York City, involving an intellectual and cultural revival of African American music, dance, art, fashion, literature, theater, politics, and scholarship. It’s an exciting time to look back on, especially considering how often only the traumatic parts of Black history are focused on. The Harlem Renaissance was a time of Black joy and pride, which many people don’t focus on today while learning about history.Some prominent figures of the Harlem Renaissance include the poet and activist Langston Hughes, the author Zora Neale Hurston, the artist Augusta Savage, the historian and activist W. E. B Du Bois, the philosopher Alain Locke, and the author Countee Cullen, amongst many others.

Book recommendations from the Harlem Renaissance

Here is a list of book recommendations from Harlem Renaissance authors set during the Harlem Renaissance!

“Their Eyes Were Watching God” by Zora Neale Hurston

This is one of the most important books of the twentieth century, bringing to life a Southern love story that features a Black female protagonist who challenges misogynoir.

“Passing” by Nella Larsen

This book gives insight into the struggles of African Americans during the Harlem Renaissance, focusing particularly on the phenomena of passing, which is done by two mixed-race childhood friends who are perceived as white by those around them.

“Home to Harlem” by Claude McKay

This is a novel that follows the parallel paths of two different men struggling to find their place among the prejudices of American society while touching on the main themes of the Harlem Renaissance–the necessity of unity and self-determination in the Black community.

“Selected Poems of Langston Hughes” by Langston Hughes

This is a collection of poems by the celebrated writer who is seen as a driving force in launching a renaissance in Black writing in America. His poems celebrated the experience of, and gave a voice to, those who are invisible in the US.

“Invisible Man” by Ralph Ellison

Ellison's novel emphasizes truths about the nature of bigotry in the US as it tells the story of a young Black man who struggles to find his place in society after moving north during the Harlem Renaissance.

“Infants of the Spring” by Wallace Thurman

This is a roman à clef that centers characters based on the inhabitants of “Niggerati Manor,” which was an apartment building where Thurman lived among other celebrated Black artists and writers such as Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, and Alain Locke.type: embedded-entry-inline id: ewMQqG5xpqu65GraG5GY9

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