The Encyclopedia of the Harlem Renaissance (Facts On File Publishing ISBN 0-8160-4539-9 and ISBN 1-4381-3017-1) by authors Sandra L. West and Aberjhani, is a book that made history in 2003 when it became the first published encyclopedic volume to chronicle the lives, events, and culture that comprised the celebrated historical era, 1920s-1940s, known worldwide as the Harlem Renaissance. Whereas previous titles on the subject generally noted a single facet of it, such its literary or fine arts component, the Encyclopedia of the Harlem Renaissance brought together a diverse number of topics that included studies of the era's literature, music, art, politics, social trends, and noted events. Following the trend in electronic book publishing, an eBook edition of the title was released through Infobase Publishing in 2010.

Awards and distinctions

Upon its publication, Encyclopedia of the Harlem Renaissance was greeted with immediate critical acclaim. ESSENCE Magazine featured the title in its Christmas and Kwanzaa gift-giving guide. The Times of Trenton described it as, “"a fascinating guide to a colorful and culturally productive era in African-American history." The Rudolph Fisher Newsletter declared it , "an outstanding reference resource highly recommended for libraries of all sizes."

Further confirmation of the book’s value came when it received both the “Choice Academic Title Award” and the “Best History Book Award” for its treatment of a period that not only produced outstanding authors like Zora Neale Hurston, Langston Hughes

Langston Hughes

James Mercer Langston Hughes was an American poet, social activist, novelist, playwright, and columnist. He was one of the earliest innovators of the then-new literary art form jazz poetry. Hughes is best known for his work during the Harlem Renaissance...

 and Wallace Thurman, but also exceptional leaders like James Weldon Johnson and W.E.B. Du Bois

W.E.B. Du Bois

William Edward Burghardt Du Bois was an American sociologist, historian, civil rights activist, Pan-Africanist, author, and editor. Born in Massachusetts, Du Bois attended Harvard, where he was the first African American to earn a doctorate...

. In addition, the Harlem Renaissance

Harlem Renaissance

The Harlem Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned the 1920s and 1930s. At the time, it was known as the "New Negro Movement", named after the 1925 anthology by Alain Locke...

 laid the foundation for the success of the 1960s Civil Rights Movement and provided such lasting legacies as gospel music, jazz, the blues, and rap. While these creative triumphs have become basic staples of African-American culture, they have also become notable elements within musical and literary cultures across the globe. Further recognition of the Encyclopedia's accomplishment came when it received a "New Jersey Notable Book Award" 1999-2005, presented by the New Jersey Center for the Book under the aegis of the Library of Congress

Library of Congress

The Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress, de facto national library of the United States, and the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and...

 Center for the Book Program.

In February 2006, Black Issues Book Review

Black Issues Book Review

Black Issues Book Review was a bimonthly magazine published in the U.S. in which books of interest to African-American readers were reviewed. It was published from 1999 through 2007....

voted the encyclopedia one its “essential titles for the home library.” In addition, both the American Reference Books Annual, and Libraries Unlimited’s Recommended Reference Books for Small and Medium-sized Libraries and Media Centers, list the Encyclopedia among its highly suggested titles. As of September 2008, more than 1,000 libraries listed on the "WorldCat" cataloguing system include the encyclopedia in its catalogue.

Additional authors

In addition to the hundreds of articles written by West and Aberjhani, the Encyclopedia also includes an extended foreword by Clement Alexander Price. Other contributors to the volume are: Iris Formey Dawson, Vaughnette Goode-Walker, Ja A. Jahannes, Karen E. Johnson, and Mary C. Lewis.

Impact of title

Since its 2003 debut, the impact of the encyclopedia's publication has been seen not only in the form of plays and movies, such as "The Great Debaters", reflecting on the subject, but in the additional publication of dozens of books focusing on different aspects of the Harlem Renaissance

Harlem Renaissance

The Harlem Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned the 1920s and 1930s. At the time, it was known as the "New Negro Movement", named after the 1925 anthology by Alain Locke...

. The ongoing discovery of this exciting era makes Encyclopedia of the Harlem Renaissance an increasingly valuable and significant volume. In addition to the expected book titles, it also generated several popular web sites, including: The Black Skylark ZPed Music Player, Bright Skylark Literary Productions, "Creative Spirit of the Harlem Renaissance" and Creative Thinkers International.

Book citations

Moreover,a number of literary, reference, and other works include the Encyclopedia of the Harlem Renaissance among its referenced citations. These include the following:

--Belleville: 1814-1914, by Robert C. Fietsam and Judy Belleville.

--Recommended Reference Books for Small and Medium-sized Libraries and Media Centers 2004 Edition (Recommended Reference Books) (Hardcover) by Martin Dillon.

--"Ebony Rising: Short Fiction of the Greater Harlem Renaissance Era" (Paperback) by Craig Gable.

--Writer's Guide to Book Editors, Publishers, and Literary Agents, 13th Edition (with CD-ROM): Who They Are! What They Want! And How to Win Them Over! (Writer's Guide) (Paperback) by Jeff Herman.

--Guide to Book Publishers, Editors and Literary Agents 2004: Who They Are! What They Want! and How to Win Them Over! (Paperback) by Jeff Herman.

--"African-American Pride: Celebrating Our Achievements, Contributions, and Enduring Legacy" by Tyehimba Jess.

--"Richard Wright: A Biography" (Literary Greats) by Debbie Levy.

--"Music Musique: French & American Piano Composition in the Jazz Age" (Hardcover). Indiana University Press, 2006, by Barbara Meister.

--"Teaching the Harlem Renaissance: Course Design and Classroom Strategies" (African American Literature and Culture), 2008, by Michael Soto

--Black France: Colonialism, Immigration, and Transnationalism. Indiana University Press, 2006, by Dominic Thomas.

--African American Literature: Overview and Bibliography (Nova Science Publishers, ISBN 1-59033-566-X) 2003, by Paul T. Tilden.

Other works by Aberjhani

--The River of Winged Dreams (June 2010, ISBN 978-0-557-44585-1 AND ISBN 978-0-557-50288-2) fourth volume of poetry and essays in the Songs of the Angelic Gaze Series.

-- ELEMENTAL The Power of Illuminated Love (May 2008, ISBN 0-9721142-7-0) book of poems and essays featuring art by Luther E. Vann.

--The American Poet Who Went Home Again (May 2008, ISBN 1-4357-1769-4) book of creative nonfiction, memoir, and literary journalism.

--The Bridge of Silver Wings (December 2007, ISBN 978-1-4357-3421-0)collected angel poems.

--Christmas When Music Almost Killed the World (Black Skylark Singing Press, 2007, ISBN 1-4357-3420-3) a novel.

--The Wisdom of W.E.B. Du Bois (Kensington Books/Citadel Press, 2003, ISBN 0-8065-2510-X) quotations from and essays on W.E.B. Du Bois.

See also

• We Are a Dancing People by Sandra L. West
• Aberjhani
  Aberjhani
  Aberjhani is an American historian, columnist, novelist, poet, and editor. Although well-known for his literary and historical commentaries, he is perhaps best known as co-author of Encyclopedia of the Harlem Renaissance and author of I Made My Boy Out of Poetry. He won a Choice Academic Title...
  
  
• Harlem Renaissance
  Harlem Renaissance
  The Harlem Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned the 1920s and 1930s. At the time, it was known as the "New Negro Movement", named after the 1925 anthology by Alain Locke...
  
  
• W.E.B. Du Bois
  W.E.B. Du Bois
  William Edward Burghardt Du Bois was an American sociologist, historian, civil rights activist, Pan-Africanist, author, and editor. Born in Massachusetts, Du Bois attended Harvard, where he was the first African American to earn a doctorate...
  
  
• Zora Neale Hurston
  Zora Neale Hurston
  Zora Neale Hurston was an American folklorist, anthropologist, and author during the time of the Harlem Renaissance...
  
  
• Langston Hughes
  Langston Hughes
  James Mercer Langston Hughes was an American poet, social activist, novelist, playwright, and columnist. He was one of the earliest innovators of the then-new literary art form jazz poetry. Hughes is best known for his work during the Harlem Renaissance...
  
  
• Wallace Thurman
  Wallace Thurman
  Wallace Henry Thurman was an American novelist during the Harlem Renaissance. He is best known for his novel The Blacker the Berry: A Novel of Negro Life, which explores discrimination among black people based on skin color.-Early life:...
  
  
• Jean Toomer
  Jean Toomer
  Jean Toomer was an American poet and novelist and an important figure of the Harlem Renaissance. His first book Cane is considered by many as his most significant.-Early life:...