Once Upon a Time in Harlem: Film Review
Okay, here’s a self-check based on the provided text, designed to be a “hard stop” – meaning it tests comprehension of key details.I’ll present questions, and you should answer them based solely on the text. After your answers, I’ll provide the correct answers and a brief assessment.
Instructions: answer the following questions to the best of your ability, using only information found within the provided text. do not use outside knowledge.
Questions:
- According to the text, how did diffrent participants define or characterize the Harlem Renaissance? Give at least three distinct perspectives.
- the text mentions a specific incident involving Bill “Bojangles” Robinson and Charles lindbergh. Briefly describe what happened and who intervened.
- Name three publications (magazines or newspapers) mentioned in the text that provided a venue for Black writers during the Harlem Renaissance.
- According to Bontemps, what three events marked the start of the Harlem Renaissance? (Be specific with dates if provided).
- The text references several instances of racial injustice. Name three specific events or forms of injustice mentioned.
- What was significant about the 135th Street branch of the New York Public Library during this period?
- What detail is provided about Augusta Savage’s studio?
- What was major’s profession that made her parties important?
STOP HERE. Do not proceed untill you have answered all the questions to the best of your ability.
Answer Key & Assessment (Do not look until you’ve completed the questions!)
Here are the answers, followed by an assessment of your performance.
1. How did different participants define the Harlem Renaissance?
* Major: The first time Black people were recognized as creative people.
* Another participant: Affirming the greatness of Black people.
* Bontemps: A “prism” reflecting Black experience of all times.
* George Schuyler: Not a renaissance at all, but an “awakening.”
2. Bill “Bojangles” Robinson and Charles Lindbergh incident:
Lindbergh snubbed Robinson by refusing to shake his hand. Jimmy Walker, the mayor of New York, intervened by quickly shaking Robinson’s outstretched hand.
3. Publications for Black Writers:
* The Crisis
* Opportunity
* the Messenger
* Amsterdam News
4. Start of the Harlem Renaissance (according to Bontemps):
* Marcus Garvey’s first convention in Harlem, August 1920.
* The production of “Shuffle Along,” May 1921.
* The first publication of Langston Hughes’s “The negro Speaks of Rivers” in The Crisis, June 1921.
5. Racial Injustice Examples:
* Prevalence of lynchings.
* Massacres of Black people in Tulsa, East St. Louis, and Elaine, Arkansas.
* Daily racial insults and exclusions.
* Threats from the Ku Klux Klan.
6. Significance of the 135th Street Library:
It was a center for writers, the unofficial daytime workspace for Cullen, Claude McKay, and others, and Andrews was the city’s first Black head librarian.
7. Augusta Savage’s Studio:
It was located in a Harlem basement, amid furnaces and stacks of coal, but was described as a “paradise of enlightenment and a hive of creative effort.”
8. Major’s Profession:
She was a society-page writer.
Assessment:
* 7-8 Correct: Excellent! You demonstrated a strong understanding of the text and were able to locate and recall specific details.
* 5-6 Correct: Good. You grasped the main ideas and most of the supporting details. Review the questions you missed to solidify your understanding.
* 3-4 Correct: Fair. You understood some of the text, but struggled with specific details. Rereading the passage and focusing on key names, dates, and events would be helpful.
* 0-2 Correct: Needs Advancement. You likely had difficulty understanding the text or locating information within it. Careful rereading, perhaps with a focus on identifying the main ideas of each paragraph, is recommended.
This was designed as a “hard stop” to test your ability to extract information directly from the text. Hopefully,this self-check was helpful! Let me no if you’d like another one.