Dorothy Randolph Peterson facts for kids

Dorothy Randolph Peterson (born June 21, 1897, died November 4, 1978) was an American teacher and actress. She played a very important role during a special time called the Harlem Renaissance. She worked hard to share and protect the amazing art created by African-American artists.

Dorothy Peterson's Early Life and Work

Dorothy Peterson spent a lot of her childhood in Puerto Rico. Her father worked there as a U.S. Consul. This meant he was a government official helping Americans in Puerto Cabello, Venezuela.

She went to university in Puerto Rico first. Then, she studied at New York University. In the 1920s, she moved to Harlem, a neighborhood in New York City.

Helping the Harlem Renaissance

In Harlem, Dorothy became a big part of the art scene. She hosted "literary salons" at her home. These were like gatherings where artists and writers could meet and share their work.

She also helped start a magazine called Fire!! -- A Quarterly Devoted to the Younger Negro Artists. She was one of its first supporters. In 1929, she helped create the Negro Experimental Theater. She started it with Regina Anderson.

Dorothy worked hard to save and celebrate African-American art and culture. She helped create two important collections. One was the James Weldon Johnson Memorial Collection of Negro Arts and Letters at Yale University. The other was the Jerome Bowers Peterson Collection of Photographs of Celebrated Negroes. This collection is at Wadleigh High School in Harlem.