Harlem Writers Guild facts for kids
The Harlem Writers Guild (HWG) is the oldest group for African-American writers. It began in 1950 as the Harlem Writers Club. Important founders included John Oliver Killens, Rosa Guy, John Henrik Clarke, Willard Moore, and Walter Christmas. The Harlem Writers Guild gives African-American writers a place to share their stories completely. They can write about being Black in the USA without anyone telling them what to say. Besides publishing books, the HWG also works for social change. They also host events to celebrate and support their members.
Contents
A Look Back: The History of the Guild
The Harlem Writers Guild started in 1950. It was a place where African-American writers could get better at their writing. Before this, a group called "The Committee for the Negro in the Arts" lost its funding. Many writers felt left out of the main writing world in New York City.
The HWG was also a big part of the Black Arts Movement in the 1960s. Its main goal is still to help writers from the African diaspora create and publish their works. Other famous writers who were part of the HWG include Lonne Elder III, Douglas Turner Ward, Ossie Davis, Paule Marshall, Audre Lorde, Maya Angelou, and Sarah E. Wright.
In the 1950s, John Oliver Killens invited many new African-American writers to meet. They would gather at a shop in Harlem to read and discuss each other's writing. The Harlem Writers Guild grew from these meetings. New authors joined and published works about important topics. These included racism, unfair treatment, and social well-being. The Guild helped African-American authors share their unique stories. This was important because mainstream literature often ignored African-American literature.
The Harlem Writers Guild worked to expand their literary works. They also created a good way to promote their members' writing. They used their social connections and strong voices to push for social change. In the 1960s, the group supported Malcolm X. They also spoke out against unfair treatment in Angola and Mozambique. They worked to end racist rules in South Africa. The group used their connections to share news about marches, Freedom Rides, and other groups working for progress.
In 1977, the United Nations Society of Writers honored the HWG. By 1986, John O. Killens believed that Guild members had published over 300 works. These included fiction, non-fiction, poems, plays, and screenplays. Many of these works won important literary awards.
Harlem Writers Guild Press: Publishing Stories
In 2000, the HWG started a partnership with a digital publisher called iUniverse. They created their own publishing company, the Harlem Writers Guild Press. They published a book called Beloved Harlem: A Literary Tribute to Black America's Most Famous Neighborhood in 2005. William H. Banks Jr., a former leader of the HWG, edited this book. It featured works by many HWG members. These included Dr. John Henrik Clarke, Grace F. Edwards, Rosa Guy, and John Oliver Killens.
The Harlem Renaissance: A Creative Boom
During the 1920s and 1930s, many African Americans moved from the South to cities in the North. They were looking for better chances in life. The Harlem Renaissance was a time of great creativity in Harlem, New York. It led to a huge growth in writing, music, and art. This creative burst was so strong that people called it the rebirth of African-American arts. Harlem became a center for African-American culture. It was a place where people felt a strong sense of community. This growth in African-American art paved the way for a new era of African-American literature.
Meet the Members: Writers of the Guild
Many talented writers have been part of the Harlem Writers Guild. Here are some of them:
- Dr. John Henrik Clarke
- Grace F. Edwards
- Rosa Guy
- Rachel DeAragon
- John Oliver Killens
- Walter Dean Myers
- Louise Meriwether
- Karen Robinson
- Dr. Olubansile Abbas Mimiko
- Sarah E. Wright
- Audre Lorde
- Paule Marshall
- Julian Mayfield
- Terry McMillan
- Robert McNatt
- Lofton Mitchell
- Wilbert Oliver
- Funmi Osoba
- Sidney Poitier
- Charles Russell
- K. C. Washington
- Minnette Coleman
- Gammy Singer
- Wilbert Tatum
- Brenda Wilkinson
- Valerie Wilson Wesley
- Sarah Elizabeth Wright
- Sandra L. West
- Doris Jean Austin
- William H. Banks Jr.
- Wesley Brown
- Rosemary Bray
- Irving Burgie
- Judy C. Andrews
- Godfrey Cambridge
- Andrea Broadwater
- Alice Childress
- Ossie Davis
- Ruby Dee
- James DeJongh
- Lonne Elder III
- Donis Ford
- Bill William Forde
- Lorraine Hansberry
- Bob Desverney
- Dr. Beryl Dorsett
- Sheila Doyle
- Loyle Hairston
- Robert Hooks
- Rose James
- Alfonso Nicks
- Betty Ann Jackson
- Diane Richards
More recently, these writers have joined the HWG:
- Angela Dews
- Cordenia Paige
- Eartha Watts Hicks
- Sylvia White
- Miriam Kelly Ferguson.
John Henrik Clarke: A Co-Founder's Vision
John Henrik Clarke was a very important co-founder of the Harlem Writers Guild. He helped create a special place for African-American writers to share their experiences. Clarke taught himself a lot. He learned from his mentor Arturo Alfonso Schomburg. Clarke strongly believed in understanding the African-American experience from its own viewpoint. He felt it was important not to see it only through a European lens, as history books often did. His ideas helped show that African-American lives have great worth and value. This helped preserve the Black experience.
John Oliver Killens: A Voice for Change
John Oliver Killens was the first Guild member to have his work published. Killens was known for his stories that aimed to create social change. He is most famous for his first novel, Youngblood, published in 1954. This book is seen as a very important protest novel of the American Civil Rights Movement. It tells the story of an African-American family living in Georgia under Jim Crow laws, which were unfair rules that separated people by race.
Events: Celebrating Writers
On March 12, 1972, the Harlem Writers Guild held a party. They celebrated Chester Himes' autobiography, The Quality of Hurt (1971). The party took place at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in New York.
In March 2021, a company called Rémy Martin worked with the Harlem Writers Guild. They honored artists from Harlem in a project called "Voices of Harlem." This partnership helped give younger people the tools and confidence to enjoy and take part in their African-American literary history.
Social Movements: Fighting for Justice
Members of the Harlem Writers Guild and another group, On Guard for Freedom, led a protest. This protest happened in front of the United Nations in 1961. They were protesting the killing of the Congolese Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba.
