(Courtesy of Pop Culture Classroom)
By Colleen Bement, Editor
Pop Culture Classroom let us in on a brand-new comic by local artist phenom R. Alan Brooks, and Eisner Award-winning artist Marcus Kwame Anderson: The Harlem Renaissance. Meant as a teaching resource, this comic is designed for teachers and students grades 9-12 as well as fans of history comics. It explores the story of the Harlem Renaissance and introduces readers to some of the Black writers, artists, and other creators whose work sparked a cultural revolution.
Exploring the history and social factors leading up to the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s and 1930s, it is an ideal tool, not only for teachers but anyone who is interested in learning history. It also introduces readers to prominent figures such as W.E.B. Du Bois, the poets Langston Hughes, Claude MacKay, and Gwendolyn Bennett, the painter Aaron Douglas, the photographer James Van Der Zee, and others whose work featured prominently in the Harlem Renaissance.
Well-known in the Denver area, Mr. Brooks is well-known for “The Burning Metronome” and “Anguish Garden.” He also teaches graphic novel writing for Regis University’s MFA program, and Lighthouse Writers Workshop. Deeply involved with social issues, this incredible talent’s TED Talk on the importance of art reached 1 million views in just 2 months. His graphic novel work is featured in the Denver Art Museum’s renovated Western exhibit. His fans also know him well from his Denver Museum of Contemporary Art’s “How Art Is Born” podcast, as well as his own “MotherF**ker In A Cape” comics podcast.
According to Brooks, this is just a dip into the deep waters of the Harlem Renaissance, but it was important to me to touch on this story in a grounded and accessible way. Comics are always a great way to do that.
It was dope to work with the homie — Eisner Award-winning artist Marcus Kwame Anderson. He helped me tell this story from the perspective of two young brothers, and I love how it came out. If you want an introduction to the immense, history-shaping story of the Harlem Renaissance, you should grab this free comic now!
In addition to its availability as an individual download, The Harlem Renaissance can also be downloaded for free as part of Pop Culture Classroom’s collection of issues related to Black History. The collection includes comics and teaching guides about Juneteenth, the Underground Railroad, Clara Brown, video game pioneer Jerry Lawson, and more.
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