Dorothy West - Harlem Renaissance

Harlem Renaissance

Shortly before winning, Dorothy moved to Harlem with her cousin, the poet Helene Johnson. There Dorothy met other writers of the Harlem Renaissance, including Langston Hughes, Countee Cullen, and the novelist Wallace Thurman. Hughes gave Dorothy the nickname of "The Kid", by which she was known during her time in Harlem.

Dorothy,s principal contribution to the Harlem Renaissance was to publish the magazine Challenge, which she founded in 1934 with $40. She also published the magazine's successor, New Challenge. These magazines were among the first to publish literature featuring realistic portrayals of African Americans. Among the works published were Richard Wright's groundbreaking essay "Blueprint for Negro Writing," together with writings by Margaret Walker and Ralph Ellison.