The Ex-Colored Man
Notes for Essay
James Weldon Johnson - The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored man 1912 Anon. 1927 with credit. Published during "Harlem Renaissance
Johnson was a "Polymath" - multi-talented. Reconstruction period 1877. All free men were giving 40 acres of land but no supplies, money or other resources. US army was sent to the south to protect black before "Reconstruction." He came from a stable family, mother was educated and father was present and healthy growing up in Florida. Was the 1st black man to become a lawyer in the state of Florida. 1896 in an important case, Plessy vs Furgerson. White looking black man was told to change seat on train, led to the beginning of segregation. "Africa" was south of washington sq in NYC. A black "ghetto." Black soldiers from WWI were treated very well in Europe. Began a change in the mindset back at home. Harlem became more "Black" and thus the "Harlem Renaissance" came to. Controversy broke between black writers over the "southern black dialect." Charles W. Chestnut wrote in the english standard and the southern black dialect. Parallel book written by Fredrick Douglas c.1848, narrative told by himself. Look up "Harlem Renaissance."
The Ex-Colored Man’s mother protected him as a child and teenager. Because of the money provided by his father, she had the means to raise him in a different environment than most other blacks. He was exposed to only upper-class blacks and mostly benevolent whites. After his mother’s death, his poor orphan status exposed him to a part of black life unknown to him while living a sheltered life with his mother. He adapted very well to life with lower-class blacks, and was able to move easily between the classes of black society. During this carefree period of his life, he was still able to teach music and attend church, where he came in contact with the upper class blacks. The Ex-Colored man living in an all black community discovered three classes of blacks; the desperate class, the domestic
James Weldon Johnson - The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored man 1912 Anon. 1927 with credit. Published during "Harlem Renaissance
Johnson was a "Polymath" - multi-talented. Reconstruction period 1877. All free men were giving 40 acres of land but no supplies, money or other resources. US army was sent to the south to protect black before "Reconstruction." He came from a stable family, mother was educated and father was present and healthy growing up in Florida. Was the 1st black man to become a lawyer in the state of Florida. 1896 in an important case, Plessy vs Furgerson. White looking black man was told to change seat on train, led to the beginning of segregation. "Africa" was south of washington sq in NYC. A black "ghetto." Black soldiers from WWI were treated very well in Europe. Began a change in the mindset back at home. Harlem became more "Black" and thus the "Harlem Renaissance" came to. Controversy broke between black writers over the "southern black dialect." Charles W. Chestnut wrote in the english standard and the southern black dialect. Parallel book written by Fredrick Douglas c.1848, narrative told by himself. Look up "Harlem Renaissance."
The Ex-Colored Man’s mother protected him as a child and teenager. Because of the money provided by his father, she had the means to raise him in a different environment than most other blacks. He was exposed to only upper-class blacks and mostly benevolent whites. After his mother’s death, his poor orphan status exposed him to a part of black life unknown to him while living a sheltered life with his mother. He adapted very well to life with lower-class blacks, and was able to move easily between the classes of black society. During this carefree period of his life, he was still able to teach music and attend church, where he came in contact with the upper class blacks. The Ex-Colored man living in an all black community discovered three classes of blacks; the desperate class, the domestic