However, this experience caused her to remove herself from the public eye and she began working as a secretary for the Consumers Union. 1926 — "Lines Written At the Grave of Alexandre Dumas", From The Oxford Companion to African American Literature. Over a period of eight years, some of the most famous Harlem Renaissance figures, such as Wallace Thurman and Langston Hughes met up in these groups and produced significant works as a result.[22]. Female, African-American poets had never before written about this topic, and even though it was considered taboo then, she and many other poets inspired other women to follow in their footsteps several years later. Generation. Gwendolyn B. Bennett was born in Texas on July 8, 1902. !, along with Zora Neale Hurston, John Davis, and Aaron Douglas. That same year, the couple moved to Eustis, Florida. She wed Albert Jackson in 1927.
Date of birth : 1902-07-08
Gwendolyn B. Bennett (July 8, 1902 – May 30, 1981) was an American artist, writer, and journalist who contributed to Opportunity: A Journal of Negro Life, which chronicled cultural advancements during the Harlem Renaissance.Though often overlooked, she herself made considerable accomplishments in poetry and prose. She was born in Texas and lived for a time on the Paiute Reservation in Nevada, where her parents taught on behalf of the Bureau of Indian Affairs. While assistant to the editor at Opportunity she was given the chance to publish articles discussing topics involving literature and the fine arts, and her column titled "The Ebony Flute" (1926–28)[5] distributed news about the many creative thinkers involved with the Harlem Renaissance. In Trotman, C. James, ed.
The playwright Theodore Ward declared that Bennett's work was one of the "most promising of the poets out of the Harlem Renaissance" and also called Bennett a "dynamic figure... noted for her depth and understanding." Gwendolyn B. Bennett was born in Texas. Govan, Sandra Y.
Gwendolyn Bennett Bennett was born July 8, 1902, in Giddings, Texas, to Joshua Robbin Bennett[2] and Mayme F. (Abernethy) Bennett.
[14][unreliable source?
Her work is featured in numerous anthologies of the period, including the following: Photograph of Gwendolyn Bennett in the 1920s, Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Bennett, Gwendolyn (1902-1981) | The Black Past: Remembered and Reclaimed", "Double-Bind: Three Women of the Harlem Renaissance", "Gwendolyn Bennett - The Black Renaissance in Washington, DC", "Analysis of Gwendolyn B. Bennett's poetry", https://www.english.illinois.edu/maps/poets/a_f/bennett/life.htm, A Biographical Sketch of Gwendolyn B Bennett, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Gwendolyn_B._Bennett&oldid=964369630, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Albert Joseph Jackson (1927-19?? [citation needed] In 1941, the FBI continuously investigated Bennett on suspicion that she was a Communist and continued to do so on and off until 1959 despite no conclusive or evidential findings. Gwendolyn Bennetta Bennett poems, quotations and biography on Gwendolyn Bennetta Bennett poet page.
She wed Albert Jackson in 1927. Gwendolyn Bennett (July 8, 1902 - May 30, 1981) was active in the Harlem Renaissance period, writing poetry, fiction, and journalism, as well as creating visual art (painting, drawing, and working in batik). Though often overlooked, she herself made considerable accomplishments in poetry and prose. [citation needed], Bennett garnered success with the recognition of these several journals and writers with appreciation of the messages behind her words during this period; the Harlem Renaissance. Bennett began to write more frequently after working with the Federal Writers Project and Federal Art Project. In Dolan Hubbard, ed., Govan, Sandra Y. Biography [25] Their interracial marriage was not socially acceptable at Bennett's time. New York: Oxford University Press, 1997. Creating an empowering aspect to African-American women features, Bennett's imagery and comparisons to queens are used to influence African-American women in embracing their blackness. Bennett was a poet, short-story writer, columnist, journalist, illustrator, graphic artist, arts educator, teacher and administrator on the New York City Works Progress Administration Federal Arts Project (1935-41). Copyright © 1997 by Oxford University Press, Poets.org Academy of American Poets, 75 Maiden Lane, Suite 901, New York, NY 10038, Chaney, Michael A. Since Brewer was also a native Texan, he further stated that as a result of Bennett's Texas birthplace, "Texans feel that they have a claim on her and that the beautiful and poignant lyrics she writes resulted partially from the impression of her early Texas surroundings." Gwendolyn B. Bennett (1902-1981) was a key figure in the development of the Harlem Renaissance and was a mainstay in the Harlem arts and education communities long after the Renaissance ended. Nationality : American Throughout her dedication and perseverance, Bennett raised the bar when it came to women's literature and education. Date of death : 1981-05-30 J. Mason Brewer, an African-American folklorist and storyteller, called Bennett a "nationally known artist and poetess." ], When Bennett left Paris in 1926, she headed back to New York to become the assistant to the editor for Opportunity. [5], Throughout Bennett's life, she attained success in different fields of work. However, most of her pieces from this period of her life were destroyed during a fire at her stepmother's home in 1926. Mayme gained custody of Gwendolyn; however Joshua kidnapped his daughter.
[citation needed], Bennett’s poems appeared in journals published during the Harlem Renaissance: Crisis, Opportunity, William Stanley Braithwaite's Anthology of Magazine Verse (1927), Yearbook of American Poetry (1927), Countee Cullen's Caroling Dusk (1927), and James Weldon Johnson's The Book of American Negro Poetry (1931).
!. Her artwork was also used for Crisis and Opportunity covers with themes that included diverse races, ages, classes, and/or genders allowing Bennett to display of the beauty in diversity. [1] Bennett was a dedicated and self-preserving woman, respectfully known for being a strong influencer of African-American women rights during the Harlem Renaissance. Between 1924 and 1928 Bennett enjoyed her most successful publishing period. "The Diaries of Gwendolyn Bennett.". Jones, Gwendolyn S. "Gwendolyn Bennett ([1902]–[1981])." [12], Bennett was a prominent figure and best known for the poetry and writing she produced that had a direct influential impact on the motives and essence of the Harlem Renaissance.
She wrote her high school play and was also featured as an actress. After marrying Dr. Albert Joseph Jackson in 1927, Bennett resigned from Howard University as the school's administration disapproved of their relationship. admin 1935 — "Rounding the Century: Story of the Colored Orphan Asylum & Association for the Benefit of Colored Children in New York City". Gwendolyn B. Bennett was an African American writer who contributed to Opportunity, which chronicled cultural advancements in Harlem. Gwendolyn B. Bennett was a Cancer and was born in the G.I. [21], Harlem Circles, created by Bennett, were intended to be a place for writers to gather, share ideas, and spark inspiration. September 21, 2019 [citation needed], After her graduation in 1921, Bennett took art classes at Columbia University and the Pratt Institute. Her poems consist of Street Lights in PLANTING SEASON and Moon Tonight. "A Blend of Voices: Composite Narrative Strategies in Biographical Reconstruction." Yet in the midst of the Harlem Renaissance Bennett was widely recognized by her peers as one of the more active and promising authors of the New Negro movement. Birthplace : Giddings, Texas William L. Andrews, Frances Smith Foster, and Trudier Harris. ; dissolved). and explores how gender, race, and class dynamics shape an interracial relationship.
She was born in Texas and lived for a time on the Paiute Reservation in Nevada, where her parents taught on behalf of the Bureau of Indian Affairs. [citation needed].
[citation needed], Gwendolyn's parents divorced when she was seven years old.
Her time in Florida had a negative impact on her work as it was too far from Harlem to promptly receive news for her to write about in her column for Opportunity. She lived in DC as a child (from 1906 to 1910), and moved back as an adult, when she taught in the Art Department at Howard University (1926-1929). Gwendolyn B. Bennett, a minor literary figure and graphic artist, is often mentioned almost in passing in association with other Harlem Renaissance writers whose reputations surpassed hers.
[citation needed], Bennett retired in 1968 and moved with her husband, Richard Crosscup, to Kutztown, Pennsylvania, where they opened an antique shop called Buttonwood Hollow Antiques. In Nelson, Emmanuel S., ed., Wheeler, Belinda.
[5] In her undergraduate studies, her poem "Heritage" was published in The Crisis, magazine of the NAACP, during November 1923; in December of the same year, "Heritage" was included in Opportunity, a magazine published by the National Urban League. She spent her early childhood in Wadsworth, Nevada, on the Paiute Indian Reservation. [9] A scholarship enabling her to study in Paris, France, at the Sorbonne, was awarded to Bennett during December 1924. Harlem remained Bennett's passion, however, and during the late 1930s and the 1940s she remained in the arts.
Activist and author James Weldon Johnson described Bennett's work as "delicate" and "poignant".
[16] Conceived by Langston Hughes and Richard Nugent, Bennet served as an editor for the single edition of Fire! [7][8], Bennett graduated from Columbia and Pratt in 1924 and received a position at Howard University, where she taught design, watercolor painting and crafts. One way she expressed and shared this vision was through, To a Dark Girl, one of her more famous works of poetry. Though often overlooked, she herself made considerable accomplishments in art, poetry, and prose. [23][24], In 1940, she married educator and writer Richard Crosscup, who was of European ancestry. She then continued her fine arts education at the Académie Julian and the École du Panthéon in Paris. "Kindred Spirits and Sympathetic Souls: Langston Hughes and Gwendolyn Bennett in the Renaissance." [10] During her studies in Paris, Bennett worked with a variety of materials, including watercolor, oil, woodcuts, pen and ink, and batik,[11] which was the beginning of her career as a graphic artist. "After the Renaissance: Gwendolyn Bennett and the WPA years.". '. [6] In 1924, her poem "To Usward" was chosen as a dedication for the introduction of Jessie Fauset's novel There Is Confusion at a Civic Club dinner hosted by Charles S. Receiving such positive criticism from other members of the Harlem Renaissance helped Bennett gain recognition. Hoffman, Lenore. [19] Bennett admired African-American artists and they made her feel proud to be part of that community, despite experiencing judgement from whites in the past. Biography. [4], While attending Girls' High, Bennett was awarded first place in a school wide art contest, and was the first African-American to join the literary and dramatic societies.
Following the loss of life of her 1st husband, she wedded Richard Crosscup, despite a interpersonal climate that appeared down upon their interracial union. Credited as : Author, Harlem Circles, Epitaph Opportunity, © 2010 BrowseBiography.com - Your Website for informations, John Legend collaborates with Pharrell, Q-Tip and Hit-Boy for, Jeff Bezos buys The Washington Post though he won't be leading, Quote from Pope Francis 'Who Am I to Judge? One of her most influential poems, Fantasy,[13] not only emphasized the racial pride of African-Americans, but also for women in general by shining light on possibilities that may not have been necessarily attainable for women during this time period.