Photos From Harlem Renaissance

Choose a photo and write about what you observe from the photo and how it relates to the Harlem Renaissance.

Reaction Poem

I am the Smoke King,

I am black!

I am swinging in the sky,

I am wringing worlds on awry;

I am the thought of the throbbing mills,

I am the soul of the soul-toil kills,

Wraithe of the ripple of trading rills,

Up I'm curling from the sod,

I am whirling home to God.

I am the Smoke King,

I am black.

I am the Smoke King,

I am black!

I am wreathing broken hearts,

I am sheathing love's light darts;

Inspiration of iron times,

Wedding the toil of toiling climes,

Shedding the blood of bloodless crimes --

Lurid lowering 'mid the blue,

Torrid towering toward the true,

I am the Smoke King,

I am black.

I am the Smoke King,

I am black!

I am darkening with song,

I am hearkening to wrong!

I will be black as blackness can --

The blacker the mantle the mightier the man!

For blackness was ancient ere whiteness began.

I am daubing God in night,

I am swabbing Hell in white:

I am the Smoke King,

I am black.

I am the Smoke King,

I am black!

I am cursing ruddy morn,

I am nursing hearts unborn:

Souls unto me are as stars in the night,

I whiten my black men -- I beckon my white!

What's the hue of a hide to a man in his might?

Hail, great, gritty, grimy hands --

Sweet Christ, pity toiling lands!

I am the Smoke King,

I am black.

You had a choice to pass as white,

But you knew that wouldn't be right.

Instead you embraced your skin color,

And united the people you love.

You knew the people you loved weren't being treated fairly,

and they were noticed in a good way rarely.

You had a choice to pass as white,

But you knew that wouldn't be right.

African Americans were blamed for nothing,

So you grew angrier and angrier.

You thought black people went through hell,

And all the injustice you would quell.

You had a choice to pass as white,

But you knew that wouldn't be right.

-Sophie

An Ode to W.E.B. Du Bois

An author, A poet, A teacher!
A soldier in the war for freedom.
A powerful asset in our fight for equality.
A writer whose words changed the hearts of many.
An important contribution to our country's history.
A truly proud African American!

A leader, A hero, An innovator!
The first African American to earn a PHD from Harvard.
A founding member of the NAACP.
Published over 4000 influential articles, essays, and books.
The reason for change in our society.
The beginning to the rest of our lives.

A civil rights activist, A public Intellectual, A Historian!
Through his fight he taught many.
He stayed true to his cultural ethnicity.
Although he was light enough to "pass"
He never tried!
Instead he fought for what he believed in.

Motivated, Influential, Admired!
Du Bois taught people the key to success.
Through his written works people learned about themselves
They learned that they could never have change without education.
Du Bois taught people to unite and fight for what they believed in.

The Renaissance Man
An author, A poet, A teacher!
A leader, A hero, An innovator!
An civil rights activist, A public Intellectual, An Historian!
Motivated, Influential, Admired!
W.E.B. Du Bois

-Omobolade

Emulation of W.E.B. Du Bois

I am the Smoke King,

I am black!

I am swinging in the sky,

I am wringing worlds on awry;

I am the thought of the throbbing mills,

I am the soul of the soul-toil kills,

Wraithe of the ripple of trading rills,

Up I'm curling from the sod,

I am whirling home to God.

I am the Smoke King,

I am black.

I am the Smoke King,

I am black!

I am wreathing broken hearts,

I am sheathing love's light darts;

Inspiration of iron times,

Wedding the toil of toiling climes,

Shedding the blood of bloodless crimes --

Lurid lowering 'mid the blue,

Torrid towering toward the true,

I am the Smoke King,

I am black.

I am the Smoke King,

I am black!

I am darkening with song,

I am hearkening to wrong!

I will be black as blackness can --

The blacker the mantle the mightier the man!

For blackness was ancient ere whiteness began.

I am daubing God in night,

I am swabbing Hell in white:

I am the Smoke King,

I am black.

I am the Smoke King,

I am black!

I am cursing ruddy morn,

I am nursing hearts unborn:

Souls unto me are as stars in the night,

I whiten my black men -- I beckon my white!

What's the hue of a hide to a man in his might?

Hail, great, gritty, grimy hands --

Sweet Christ, pity toiling lands!

I am the Smoke King,

I am black.

Why do you judge me by the color of my skin?

Are we not the same?

Why do black people have to be theives?
Some of us do know good, if you'd only believe.
Why are my brothers made out to be naive?
Am I so different that you can't accept me?
Why do you judge me by the color of my skin?
Are we not the same?

Why do you judge me by the color of my skin?
Are we not the same?
Why does every Mexican man's name have to be Paco?
Why does everyone assume all they eat are beans and Taco's!
Why is it that I recieve unfair treatment?
Is it because I speak and look a bit different?
Why do you judge me by the color of my skin?
Are we not the same?

Why do you judge me by the color of my skin?
Are we not the same?
Why do all Asians have to have small eyes?
Why are we all perceived to be as smart as God?
Why are we judged if we don't fit the criteria?
Never accepted for who we truly are.
Why do you judge me by the color of my skin?
Are we not the same?

Why do you judge me by the color of my skin?
Are we not the same?
If we are all human, doesn't this make us the same.
Can't you learn to accept us they we have been made.
The African American, The Mexican, The Asian, The Jew!
We are all just people!
So tell me why do you judge us by the color of my skin?
Are we not the same?

-Omobolade