William E. Harmon Foundation award for distinguished achievement among Negroes
Encyclopedia
The William E. Harmon Foundation award for Distinguished Achievement among Negroes commonly referred to as the "Harmon award" or "Harmon foundation award", was a philanthropic and cultural award created in 1926 by William E. Harmon and administered by the Harmon Foundation. It was offered for distinguished achievements in eight different fields: literature, music, fine arts, business and industry (such as banker Anthony Overton
in 1927), science and innovation, education (for example, educator Janie Porter Barrett
in 1929), religious service, and race relations.
Although awards were created in eight categories, it is best known for its impact on African American art
of the Harlem renaissance
, and particularly on the visual arts. During its existence the Harmon award was largely considered synonymous with Negro visual art:
Among the many recipients of the awards in literature and the fine arts were Claude McKay
, Hale Woodruff
, Palmer Hayden
, Archibald Motley
(his winning piece was "The Octoroon Girl"), Countee Cullen
and Langston Hughes
.
The awards were closely associated with an annual Exhibition of the Work of Negro Artists, conceived by Mary Brady. Exhibitions were held in 1927 through 1931, 1933, and 1935, and featured "substantial prizes" together with gold, silver and bronze medals. According to Gates and Higginbotham, "...submissions in the fine arts category was the chief venue open to African American artists"
Awards were given solely on the basis of achievements in the previous year. The first year the awards were granted (1926) the judges of the awards proposed giving Gold award for literature to Charles W. Chesnutt
, "..to acknowledge his pioneering work and continuing example to other African American writers". Their intention was to waive the requirement that the award be granted solely for works completed during the previous year. However, the Harmon Foundation did not accept this proposal, and Chesnutt never learned of this "acknowledgment of high esteem from a distinguished panel of his literary peers both black and white."
Recipients of the award in every field except race relations were required to be African American – the latter could be awarded to "...any person of American residence, regardless of color, who has made an outstanding contribution toward improving relations between the white and Negro people in America." Thus Robert Russa Moton
was the first African American to receive the race relations award (in 1930). He was preceded by Will Alexander in 1927, and a dual award to Julius Rosenwald
and James Hardy Dillard in 1928, all of whom who were Caucasian.
Gold and Bronze medals were awarded in the various categories. The Gold carried a $400 cash prize (adjusted for inflation, the 1926 prize would be worth $ in the US dollars of ; the 1933 prize $); the Bronze prize was $100. The award for race relations had a much larger honorarium: it varied between $500 and $1,000.
A description of the Bronze medal won by A.M.E.
Bishop John Hurst in 1926 appeared in the January 8, 1927 edition of the Baltimore, Maryland Afro-American:
Administered during its first five years (1926–33) by Dr. George E. Haynes, the awards program was discontinued in 1933, which would have been the year of the 1932 awards. However, no awards had been granted in the previous year. A New York Times article in 1931 described the race relation category of the awards as "biennial".
A full list of the winners of each year was offered in contemporary New York Times articles.
Anthony Overton
Anthony Overton , a banker and manufacturer, was the first African-American to lead a major business conglomerate. In 1898 he established Hygienic Manufacturing Company and produced a number of goods, including the nationally-known High Brown Face Powder, which was "the first market success in the...
in 1927), science and innovation, education (for example, educator Janie Porter Barrett
Janie Porter Barrett
Janie Porter Barrett was an American social reformer, educator and welfare worker. She established the Virginia Industrial School for Colored Girls, a pioneering rehabilitation center for African American female delinquents...
in 1929), religious service, and race relations.
Although awards were created in eight categories, it is best known for its impact on African American art
African American art
African American art is a broad term describing the visual arts of the American black community . Influenced by various cultural traditions, including those of Africa, Europe and the Americas, traditional African American art forms include the range of plastic arts, from basket weaving, pottery,...
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...
, and particularly on the visual arts. During its existence the Harmon award was largely considered synonymous with Negro visual art:
...the introduction of the Harmon foundation awards in 1926, which were always dispensed with a flurry of publicity, marked the beginning of a new era for Negro visual art. With its private endowment, popular social mission, and interracial alliances, [it] possessed a much greater public relations capacity than any other prior initiatives...Due in large part to the activities of the Harmon Foundation, African Americans emerged as a distinct presence in the American art world.
Among the many recipients of the awards in literature and the fine arts were Claude McKay
Claude McKay
Claude McKay was a Jamaican-American writer and poet. He was a seminal figure in the Harlem Renaissance and wrote three novels: Home to Harlem , a best-seller which won the Harmon Gold Award for Literature, Banjo , and Banana Bottom...
, Hale Woodruff
Hale Woodruff
Hale Aspacio Woodruff was an African American artist known for his murals, paintings, and prints. One example of his work, the three-panel Amistad Mutiny murals , can be found at Talladega College in Talladega County, Alabama...
, Palmer Hayden
Palmer Hayden
Palmer C. Hayden was an American painter who depicted African American life. He painted in both oils and watercolors, and was a prolific artist of his era.-Early life:...
, Archibald Motley
Archibald Motley
Archibald John Motley, Junior was an African-American painter. He studied painting at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago during the 1910s, graduating in 1918...
(his winning piece was "The Octoroon Girl"), Countee Cullen
Countee Cullen
Countee Cullen was an American poet who was popular during the Harlem Renaissance.- Biography :Cullen was an American poet and a leading figure with Langston Hughes in the Harlem Renaissance. This 1920s artistic movement produced the first large body of work in the United States written by African...
and 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...
.
The awards were closely associated with an annual Exhibition of the Work of Negro Artists, conceived by Mary Brady. Exhibitions were held in 1927 through 1931, 1933, and 1935, and featured "substantial prizes" together with gold, silver and bronze medals. According to Gates and Higginbotham, "...submissions in the fine arts category was the chief venue open to African American artists"
Awards were given solely on the basis of achievements in the previous year. The first year the awards were granted (1926) the judges of the awards proposed giving Gold award for literature to Charles W. Chesnutt
Charles W. Chesnutt
Charles Waddell Chesnutt was an American author, essayist, political activist and lawyer, best known for his novels and short stories exploring complex issues of racial and social identity in the post-Civil War South, where the legacy of slavery and interracial relations had resulted in many free...
, "..to acknowledge his pioneering work and continuing example to other African American writers". Their intention was to waive the requirement that the award be granted solely for works completed during the previous year. However, the Harmon Foundation did not accept this proposal, and Chesnutt never learned of this "acknowledgment of high esteem from a distinguished panel of his literary peers both black and white."
Recipients of the award in every field except race relations were required to be African American – the latter could be awarded to "...any person of American residence, regardless of color, who has made an outstanding contribution toward improving relations between the white and Negro people in America." Thus Robert Russa Moton
Robert Russa Moton
Robert Russa Moton was an African American educator and author. He served as an administrator at Hampton Institute and was named principal of Tuskegee Institute in 1915 after the death of Dr. Booker T. Washington, a position he held for 20 years until retirement in 1935.-Youth, education,...
was the first African American to receive the race relations award (in 1930). He was preceded by Will Alexander in 1927, and a dual award to Julius Rosenwald
Julius Rosenwald
Julius Rosenwald was a U.S. clothier, manufacturer, business executive, and philanthropist. He is best known as a part-owner and leader of Sears, Roebuck and Company, and for the Rosenwald Fund which donated millions to support the education of African American children in the rural South, as well...
and James Hardy Dillard in 1928, all of whom who were Caucasian.
Gold and Bronze medals were awarded in the various categories. The Gold carried a $400 cash prize (adjusted for inflation, the 1926 prize would be worth $ in the US dollars of ; the 1933 prize $); the Bronze prize was $100. The award for race relations had a much larger honorarium: it varied between $500 and $1,000.
A description of the Bronze medal won by A.M.E.
African Methodist Episcopal Church
The African Methodist Episcopal Church, usually called the A.M.E. Church, is a predominantly African American Methodist denomination based in the United States. It was founded by the Rev. Richard Allen in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1816 from several black Methodist congregations in the...
Bishop John Hurst in 1926 appeared in the January 8, 1927 edition of the Baltimore, Maryland Afro-American:
The medal is of unusually beautiful design. On the obverse side is embossed a ship in full sail on the open sea with the inscription "Harmon Foundation" around the margin. On the reverse side are the words "Inspiration, Achievement Religious Service. Second award, 1926, John Hurst".
Administered during its first five years (1926–33) by Dr. George E. Haynes, the awards program was discontinued in 1933, which would have been the year of the 1932 awards. However, no awards had been granted in the previous year. A New York Times article in 1931 described the race relation category of the awards as "biennial".
A full list of the winners of each year was offered in contemporary New York Times articles.