Gwendolyn B. Bennett facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Gwendolyn B. Bennett
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Photograph of Gwendolyn Bennett in the 1940s
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| Born | Gwendolyn Bennett Bennett July 8, 1902 Giddings, Texas, USA |
| Died | May 30, 1981 (aged 78) Reading, Pennsylvania, USA |
| Occupation | Writer, poet, artist |
| Alma mater | Columbia University, Pratt Institute |
| Period | Harlem Renaissance |
| Notable works | "To a Dark Girl" |
| Spouse | Albert Joseph Jackson (1927–19??; dissolved) Richard Crosscup (1940–1980; his death) |
Gwendolyn B. Bennett (born July 8, 1902 – died May 30, 1981) was an amazing American artist, writer, and journalist. She was a big part of the Harlem Renaissance, a time when African-American art and culture really shined.
Gwendolyn wrote for Opportunity: A Journal of Negro Life. This magazine shared news about cultural progress. She was known for her art, poems, and stories. Her short story "Wedding Day" was published in Fire!! magazine. It looked at how different backgrounds affect relationships.
Bennett was a strong and determined woman. She helped improve women's literature and education. Her short novel Poets Evening helped African Americans feel proud of who they were.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Gwendolyn Bennett Bennett was born on July 8, 1902. Her birthplace was Giddings, Texas. Her parents were Joshua Robbin Bennett and Mayme F. Bennett. She spent her early years in Wadsworth, Nevada. This was on the Paiute Indian Reservation. Her parents worked there for the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
In 1906, her family moved to Washington, D.C.. Her father studied law at Howard University. Her mother trained to be a beautician.
Gwendolyn's parents divorced when she was seven. Her father took her to live in secret. They moved to places like Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and Brooklyn, New York. She went to Brooklyn Girl's High School from 1918 to 1921.
At Girls' High, Gwendolyn won an art contest. She was the first African American in the literary and drama clubs. She wrote her high school play and acted in it. She also wrote her graduation speech and song.
After graduating in 1921, Bennett studied art. She took classes at Columbia University and the Pratt Institute. Her poem "Heritage" was published in The Crisis in 1923. This was the magazine of the NAACP. The same poem appeared in Opportunity that year. In 1924, her poem "To Usward" was chosen for a special dinner.
Bennett graduated in 1924. She then taught design and painting at Howard University. In December 1924, she won a scholarship. This allowed her to study fine arts in Paris, France. She attended the Sorbonne, the Académie Julian, and the École du Panthéon.
In Paris, Bennett worked with many art forms. These included watercolor, oil, woodcuts, and batik. This was the start of her career as a graphic artist. Sadly, many of her early artworks were lost. They were destroyed in a fire at her stepmother's home in 1926.
Harlem Renaissance Impact
Bennett was a key person in the Harlem Renaissance. Her poems and writings greatly influenced this movement. Her work brought back ideas about African culture. This included music and dance.
When Bennett left Paris in 1926, she returned to New York. She became an assistant editor for Opportunity magazine. She also received a fellowship for her graphic design work. Her art was used on the covers of Crisis and Opportunity. These covers showed the beauty of different races, ages, and genders.
Later that year, she went back to Howard University to teach art. At Opportunity, she wrote articles about literature and art. Her column, "The Ebony Flute" (1926–28), shared news. It told about the many creative people in the Harlem Renaissance.
In 1926, she helped start a short-lived magazine called Fire!!. She was an editor for its only issue. Other famous writers like Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston were also involved. Even though it didn't last long, Fire!! is now seen as a very important part of the Harlem Renaissance.
Bennett also created her own literary column. She called it "The Ebony Flute." This was another way she influenced the Harlem Renaissance. She highlighted Harlem culture and social life. She used her network of contacts to get news. This helped the Harlem Renaissance grow and thrive. Bennett found many ways to help her community. She did this even without publishing many of her own books.
She also wrote about African identity in a romantic way. "To a Dark Girl" is one of her most famous poems. It celebrates African-American women. Bennett used strong images and compared them to queens. This encouraged African-American women to embrace their heritage. Bennett was proud to be part of the African-American art community.
Bennett also started "Harlem Circles." These were places for writers to meet. They shared ideas and found inspiration. For eight years, famous figures met in these groups. People like Wallace Thurman and Langston Hughes created important works there.
Praise for Her Work
Other writers in Harlem praised Gwendolyn Bennett's work. The playwright Theodore Ward called her one of the "most promising poets." He said she was a "dynamic figure" with "depth and understanding." J. Mason Brewer, a folklorist from Texas, called her a "nationally known artist and poetess." He felt her Texas roots influenced her beautiful poems. Activist and author James Weldon Johnson described her work as "delicate" and "poignant." This was a great time for female poets. They were taken seriously and found success. This positive feedback helped Bennett become well-known.
Later Life and Harlem Connections
In 1927, Gwendolyn married Dr. Albert Joseph Jackson. She then left Howard University. The school did not approve of their marriage. That same year, they moved to Eustis, Florida. Being far from Harlem made it hard for her to get news. This affected her writing for Opportunity.
They faced racism and financial problems in Florida. So, they moved to Long Island in 1930. Bennett started writing more often. She worked with the Federal Writers Project and Federal Art Project. After losing their home, Jackson died in 1936. Bennett then moved back to New York.
In 1940, she married Richard Crosscup. He was an educator and writer. Their interracial marriage was not common at that time. Harlem remained very important to Bennett. In the late 1930s and 1940s, she stayed active in the arts. She was a member of the Harlem Artists Guild in 1935. She also led the Harlem Community Art Center from 1939 to 1944.
She was also involved with the Negro Playwright's Guild. She helped develop the George Washington Carver Community School. The FBI investigated Bennett for a while. They suspected she was a Communist. But they found no evidence. This caused her to step away from public life. She then worked as a secretary for the Consumers Union.
Bennett retired in 1968. She moved with her husband to Kutztown, Pennsylvania. They opened an antiques shop called Buttonwood Hollow Antiques.
Death
Richard Crosscup died in 1980. Gwendolyn Bennett passed away on May 30, 1981. She was 78 years old. She died from heart problems at Reading Hospital in Reading, Pennsylvania.
Poetry Achievements
Gwendolyn Bennett achieved success in many areas. She was a poet, short-story writer, columnist, journalist, and artist. She was also an arts educator and administrator.
Her poems appeared in many important journals. These included The Crisis and Opportunity. Her work was also in poetry collections. These were William Stanley Braithwaite's Anthology of Magazine Verse (1927), Countee Cullen's Caroling Dusk (1927), and James Weldon Johnson's The Book of American Negro Poetry (1931).
