The 2020s mark the centennial of the Harlem Renaissance, a legendary flourishing of African American intellectual and cultural expression that catapulted Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, Aaron Douglas, and other writers, artists, musicians, and activists into national and international prominence. On Jan. 27-28, 2022, the Wolfsonian Public Humanities Lab and The Wolfsonian—FIU hosted a series of events to observe the centennial of this important movement and to explore its ongoing legacy.
“The Harlem Renaissance at 100” built on—and celebrated the launch of—The Harlem Renaissance: Origins, Influences, and Currents, a digital exhibition curated by Dr. Shawn Christian and Dr. Nathaniel Cadle, associate professors of English at FIU.
This exhibition, a collaboration between the WPHL and The Wolfsonian—FIU, is available free online and showcases a trove of valuable print materials recently donated to The Wolfsonian, including rare first editions of books by Hughes, Hurston, and others, often with striking dust jackets designed by Douglas and Miguel Covarrubias. As the United States continues to grapple with the demand for equity, inclusion, and social justice, the art and ideas generated during the Harlem Renaissance remain as relevant as ever.