The Negro in Literature and Art in the United States

  XIII

  GENERAL PROGRESS, 1918-1921

  The three years that have passed since the present book appeared havebeen years of tremendous import in the life of the Negro people of theUnited States, as indeed in that of the whole nation. In 1918 we were inthe very midst of the Great War, and not until the fall of that yearwere the divisions of the Students' Army Training Corps organized in ourcolleges; and yet already some things that marked the conflict arebeginning to seem very long ago.

  To some extent purely literary and artistic achievement in America wasfor the time being retarded, and in the case of the Negro this wasespecially true. The great economic problems raised by the war and itsaftermath have very largely absorbed the energy of the race; and even ifsomething was actually done--as in a literary way--it was not easy forit to gain recognition, the cost of publication frequently beingprohibitive. An enormous amount of power yearned for expression,however; scores and even hundreds of young people were laying solidfoundations in different lines of art; and within the next decade weshall almost certainly witness a great fulfillment of their striving.Yet even for the time being there are some things that cannot passunnoticed.

  Of those who have received prominent mention in the present book, W.E.Burghardt DuBois and William Stanley Braithwaite especially havecontinued the kind of work of which they had already given indication.In 1920 appeared Dr. DuBois's "Darkwater" (Harcourt, Brace & Co., NewYork), a strong indictment of the attitude of the white world toward theNegro and other colored peoples. This book belongs rather to the fieldof social discussion than to that of pure literature, and whether oneprefers it to "The Souls of Black Folk" will depend largely on whetherhe prefers a work primarily in the wider field of politics or oneespecially noteworthy for its literary quality. Mr. Braithwaite hascontinued the publication of his "Anthology of Magazine Verse" (nowissued annually through Small, Maynard & Co., Boston), and he has alsoissued "The Golden Treasury of Magazine Verse" (Small, Maynard & Co.,1918), "Victory: Celebrated by Thirty-eight American Poets" (Small,Maynard & Co., 1919), as well as "The Story of the Great War" for youngpeople (Frederick A. Stokes & Co., New York, 1919). As for the specialpart of the Negro in the war, importance attaches to Dr. Emmett J.Scott's "Official History of the American Negro in the World War"(Washington, 1919), while in biography outstanding is Robert RussaMoton's "Finding a Way Out" (Doubleday, Page & Co., Garden City, N. Y.,1920), a work written in modest vein and forming a distinct contributionto the history of the times.

  Of those poets who have come into prominence within the period now underreview first place must undoubtedly be given to Claude McKay. This manwas originally a Jamaican and his one little book was published inLondon; but for the last several years he has made his home in theUnited States and his achievement must now be identified with that ofthe race in this country. He has served a long apprenticeship inwriting, has a firm sense of form, and only time can now give the fullmeasure of his capabilities. His sonnet, "The Harlem Dancer," isastonishing in its artistry, and another sonnet, "If We must Die," isonly less unusual in strength. Mr. McKay has recently brought togetherthe best of his work in a slender volume, "Spring in New Hampshire, andOther Poems" (Grant Richards & Co., London, 1920). Three young men whosometimes gave interesting promise, have died within the period--JosephS. Cotter, Jr., Roscoe C. Jamison, and Lucian B. Watkins. Cotter's "TheBand of Gideon, and Other Lyrics" (The Cornhill Co., Boston, 1918)especially showed something of the freedom of genuine poetry; andmention must also be made of Charles B. Johnson's "Songs of my People"(The Cornhill Co., 1918), while Leslie Pickney Hill's "The Wings ofOppression" (The Stratford Co., Boston, 1921) brings together some ofthe striking verse that this writer has contributed to differentperiodicals within recent years. Meanwhile Mrs. Georgia Douglas Johnsonhas continued the composition of her poignant lyrics, and Mrs. Alice M.Dunbar-Nelson occasionally gives demonstration of her unquestionableability, as in the sonnet, "I had not thought of violets of late"(_Crisis_, August, 1919). If a prize were to be given for the bestsingle poem produced by a member of the race within the last threeyears, the decision would probably have to rest between this sonnet andMcKay's "The Harlem Dancer."

  In other fields of writing special interest attaches to the compositionof dramatic work. Mary Burrill and Mrs. Dunbar-Nelson especially havecontributed one-act plays to different periodicals; Angelina W. Grimkehas formally published "Rachel," a play in three acts (The Cornhill Co.,Boston, 1920), while several teachers and advanced students at thedifferent educational institutions are doing excellent amateur workthat will certainly tell later in a larger way. R. T. Browne's "TheMystery of Space" (E. P. Dutton & Co., New York, 1920), is aninteresting excursion in metaphysics; and this book calls forth a remarkabout the general achievement of the race in philosophy and science.These departments are somewhat beyond the province of the present work.It is worthwhile to note, however, that while the whole field of scienceis just now being entered in a large way by members of the race, severalof the younger men within the last decade have entered upon work of thehighest order of original scholarship. No full study of this phase ofdevelopment has yet been made; but for the present an article by Dr.Emmett J. Scott, "Scientific Achievements of Negroes" (_SouthernWorkman_, July, 1920), will probably be found an adequate summary. MaudCuney Hare has brought out a beautiful anthology, "The Message of theTrees" (The Cornhill Co., Boston, 1919); and in the wide field ofliterature mention might also be made of "A Short History of theEnglish Drama," by the author of the present book (Harcourt, Brace &Co., New York, 1921).

  The general attitude in the presentation of Negro characters in thefiction in the standard magazines of the country has shown some progresswithin the last three years, though this might seem to be fully offsetby such burlesques as are given in the work of E. K. Means and OctavusRoy Cohen, all of which but gives further point to the essay on "TheNegro in American Fiction" in this book. Quite different and of muchmore sympathetic temper are "The Shadow," a novel by Mary White Ovington(Harcourt, Brace & Co., New York, 1920) and George Madden Martin's"Children of the Mist," a collection of stories about the people in thelowlands of the South (D. Appleton & Co., New York, 1920).

  In the field of the theatre and the drama there has been progress,though the lower order of popular comedy still makes strong appeal; andof course all legitimate drama has recently had to meet the competitionof moving-pictures, in connection with which several members of therace have in one way or another won success. Outstanding is Noble M.Johnson, originally of Colorado, a man of great personal gifts and witha face and figure admirably adapted to Indian as well as Negro parts. Inthe realm of the spoken drama attention fixes at once upon Charles S.Gilpin, whose work is so important that it must be given special andseparate treatment. It is worthy of note also that great impetus hasrecently been given to the construction of playhouses, the thoroughlymodern Dunbar Theatre in Philadelphia being a shining example.Interesting in the general connection for the capability that many ofthe participants showed was the remarkable pageant, "The Open Door,"first presented at Atlanta University and in the winter of 1920-21 givenin various cities of the North for the benefit of this institution.

  In painting and sculpture there has been much promise, but no one hasappeared who has gone beyond the achievement of those persons who hadalready won secure position. Indeed that would be a very difficultthing to do. Mr. Tanner, Mr. Scott, Mrs. Meta Warrick Fuller, and Mrs.May Howard Jackson have all continued their work. Mr. Tanner hasremained abroad, but there have recently been exhibitions of hispictures in Des Moines and Boston, and in 1919 Mrs. Jackson exhibited atthe National Academy of Design and at the showing of the Society ofIndependent Artists at the Waldorf-Astoria. In connection withsculpture, important is a labor of love, a book, "Emancipation and theFreed in American Sculpture," by Frederick H. M. Murray (published bythe author, 1733 7th St., N. W., Washington, 1916). This work containsmany beautiful illustrations and deserves the attention of all who areinterested in the artistic life of t
he Negro or in his portrayal byrepresentative American sculptors.

  In music the noteworthy fact is that there has been such generalrecognition of the value of Negro music as was never accorded before,and impetus toward co-operation and achievement has been given by thenew National Association of Negro Musicians. R. Nathaniel Dett has beenmost active and has probably made the greatest advance. His compositionsand the songs of Harry T. Burleigh are now frequently given a place onthe programs of the foremost artists in America and Europe, and thepresent writer has even heard them at sea. Outstanding among smallerworks by Mr. Dett is his superb "Chariot Jubilee," designed for tenorsolo and chorus of mixed voices, with accompaniment of organ, piano, andorchestra. To the _Southern Workman_ (April and May, 1918) this composercontributed two articles. "The Emancipation of Negro Music" and "NegroMusic of the Present"; and, while continuing his studies at HarvardUniversity in 1920, under the first of these titles he won a Bowdoinessay prize, and for a chorus without accompaniment, "Don't be weary,traveler," he also won the Francis Boott prize of $100. MelvilleCharlton, the distinguished organist, has gained greater maturity and inApril, 1919, under the auspices of the Verdi Club, he conducted "IlTrovatore" in the Grand Ballroom of the Waldorf-Astoria. Maud CuneyHare has helped to popularize Negro music by lecture-recitals andseveral articles in musical journals, the latter being represented bysuch titles as "The Drum in Africa," "The Sailor and his Songs," and"Afro-American Folk-Song Contribution" in the _Musical Observer_. InJanuary, 1919, with the assistance of William R. Richardson, baritone,Mrs. Hare gave a lecture-recital on "Afro-American and Creole Music" inthe lecture hall of the Boston Public Library, this being one of foursuch lectures arranged for the winter by the library trustees andmarking the first time such recognition was accorded members of therace. The violinist, Clarence Cameron White, has also entered the ranksof the composers with his "Bandanna Sketches" and other productions, andto the _Musical Observer_ (beginning in February, 1917) he alsocontributed a formal consideration of "Negro Music." Meanwhile J.Rosamond Johnson, Carl Diton, and other musicians have pressed forward;and it is to be hoped that before very long the ambitious and frequentlypowerful work of H. Laurence Freeman will also win the recognition itdeserves.

  In the department of singing, in which the race has already done so muchlaudable work, we are evidently on the threshold of greater achievementthan ever before. Several young men and women are just now appearingabove the horizon, and only a few years are needed to see who will beable to contribute most; and what applies to the singers holds also inthe case of the young violinists, pianists, and composers. Of those whohave appeared within the period, Antoinette Smythe Garnes, who wasgraduated from the Chicago Musical College in 1919 with a diamond medalfor efficiency, has been prominent among those who have awakened thehighest expectation; and Marian Anderson, a remarkable contralto, andCleota J. Collins, a soprano, have frequently appeared with distinctsuccess. Meanwhile Roland W. Hayes, the tenor, has been winning furthertriumphs by his concerts in London; and generally prominent before thepublic in the period now under review has been Mme. Florence ColeTalbert, also the winner of a diamond medal at Chicago in 1916. Mme.Talbert has been a conscientious worker; her art has now ripened; andshe has justified her high position by the simplicity and ease withwhich she has appeared on numerous occasions, one of the most noteworthyof her concerts being that at the University of California in 1920.

  A list of books bearing on the artistic life of the Negro, whether or not by members of the race, would include those below. It may be remarked that these are only some of the more representative of the productions within the last three years, and attention might also be called to the pictures of the Van Hove Statues in the Congo Museum at Brussels in the _Crisis_, September, 1920.

  A Social History of the American Negro, by Benjamin Brawley. The Macmillan Company, New York, 1921.

  Songs and Tales from the Dark Continent, recorded from the singing and the sayings of C. Kamba Simango, Ndau Tribe, Portuguese East Africa, and Madikane Cele, Zulu Tribe, Natal, Zululand, South Africa, by Natalie Curtis Burlin. G. Schirmer, New York and Boston, 1920.

  Negro Folk-Songs: Hampton Series, recorded by Natalie Curtis Burlin, in four books. G. Schirmer, New York and Boston, 1918.

  The Upward Path: A reader for colored children, compiled by Myron T. Prichard and Mary White Ovington, with an introduction by Robert R. Moton. Harcourt, Brace & Co., New York, 1920.

  * * * * *

  J. A. Lomax: Self-Pity in Negro Folk-Songs. _Nation_, August 9, 1917.

  Louise Pound: Ancestry of a "Negro Spiritual." _Modern Language Notes_, November, 1918.

  Natalie Curtis Burlin: Negro Music at Birth. _Music Quarterly_, January, 1919, and _Current Opinion_, March, 1919.

  William Stanley Braithwaite: Some Contemporary Poets of the Negro Race. _Crisis_, April, 1919.

  Elsie Clews Parsons: Joel Chandler Harris and Negro Folklore. _Dial_, May 17, 1919.

  Willis Richardson: The Hope of a Negro Drama. _Crisis_, November, 1919.

  N. I. White: Racial Traits in the Negro Song. _Sewanee Review_, July, 1920.

  Our Debt to Negro Sculpture. _Literary Digest_, July 17, 1920.

  C. Bell: Negro Sculpture. _Living Age_, September 25, 1920.

  Robert T. Kerlin: Present-Day Negro Poets. _Southern Workman_, December, 1920.

  Robert T. Kerlin: "Canticles of Love and Woe." _Southern Workman_, February, 1921.