Here’s what I do – I start off with a powerpoint presentation of the authors, the music, the actors, and the art associated with the Renaissance. This way the students get an overview of why it was called a Renaissance and the impact that it had on American culture at the time (and beyond! Bessie Smith impacted Janis Joplin, Janis Joplin impacted Pat Benetar, etc…) This presentation takes up one full class period, but I feel that it’s definitely worth it as the students’ interest gets piqued and many have gone off to research authors that I can’t cover due to time constraints.

The “must haves” that I cover are: Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, Countee Cullen, and Claude McKay. Countee Cullen’s poem “Incident” is very impactful as it’s based on an actual event in his life. I cover Hughes’ “A ***** Speaks of Rivers,” ” I, Too,” “Let America Be America Again,” “Freedom [1],” “Theme for English B,” “Freedom’s Plow,” and “Harlem [2].”

Good luck!

Hope this helps.