267 House

Harlem Renaissance was very well known as region of night life and entertainment, but at the same time as the region where very famous and talented people created their wonderful, famous and instructive work; all of them led by the idea of “The

Negro Movement.” All artists in Harlem were divided in some groups, according to their interests, genres or styles or writing or painting. More or less, they stuck together.

There is one house in Central Harlem, New York which has big historical meaning. It is visited by many tourists nowadays, because of the role it had during Harlem Renaissance. It is “267 House” in 136^th Street in Harlem, famous because it used to be a temporary home of many young artists at the time they made the biggest steps in their careers. The artists were writers Zora Neal Hurston, Wallacce Thurman, Langston Hughes, and a painter Richard Bruce Nugent.

“267 House” was one of the big houses which owner used to rent for one or more nights, sometimes weeks, months or even years. It was owed by Iolanthe Sydney, black philanthropist, who supported work of black people. Nugent, one of the artistes who lived in “267 House” painted the whole interior of the house.

The house has unique address because it is the place where all the artist I mentioned before joined together and made a literary magazine called Fire!!. It was a first magazine written by African Americans which contained discussions about issues which were not mentioned before; such as homosexuality, prostitution, color prejudice and bisexuality within black community. The magazine Fire!! wasn’t well received within the black race so the sales were very poor. It was opposite of what black people in Harlem Renaissance wanted to promote. It was found offensive and vulgar, but at the same time very popular.

Knowing that something that was written up to date, and very realistically was rejected by audience, which was black community makes me think of black people as someone who wanted to hide and cover their drawbacks and present themselves as best as possible. Where they trying to get someone’s attention or admiration by pretending that they do only good and right thing? I think so. What do you think?