Question

1. how did jean toomer become involved in the harlem renaissance?

he wrote a manifesto that was adopted by the leaders of that movement.
he was hired to edit a book of poems and stories by harlem renaissance writers.
he lived in harlem and spent time with other writers and artists there.
he helped clean up the streets of harlem, which made the neighborhood more inviting.

Explanation:

Analyze the question

The question asks how the American author Jean Toomer became involved in the Harlem Renaissance, a major cultural and intellectual movement of the 1920s.

Evaluate the historical context

Using the Jean Toomer Literature knowledge point:

• Toomer moved to Harlem, New York, in the early 1920s.
• While living in Harlem, he established close relationships with key figures of the movement, including Langston Hughes, Wallace Thurman, and Sherwood Anderson.
• His physical presence in the community and active socialization with fellow Black writers, artists, and intellectuals directly integrated him into the cultural fabric of the Harlem Renaissance.

Assess the given options

• Option 1: Toomer did not write a formal manifesto adopted by the leaders of the movement.
• Option 2: He was not hired to edit an anthology of other Harlem Renaissance writers' works as his primary entry point.
• Option 3: He lived in Harlem and spent time with other writers and artists there. This is historically accurate and describes his primary mode of involvement.
• Option 4: The claim about cleaning up the streets is historically inaccurate and irrelevant to his literary involvement.

Answer:

• (A) He wrote a manifesto that was adopted by the leaders of that movement.
• (B) He was hired to edit a book of poems and stories by Harlem Renaissance writers.
• (C) He lived in Harlem and spent time with other writers and artists there. (Correct answer)
• (D) He helped clean up the streets of Harlem, which made the neighborhood more inviting.