Francis Claudius McKay was born on September 15, 1890 in Sunny Hills, Jamaica. He was the son of two farmers and the youngest of eleven children (Giles 1). When he was young, McKay attended a school run by his older brother, who possessed a collection of poetry, English novels, and scientific texts, in addition to a wealth of knowledge (Poets.org). These early years of education, combined with encouragement from a mentor in later years, launched McKay into his writing career. (Giles 1)
In 1912, McKay immigrated to the United States, where he continued writing. His emphasis at the time was on poetry. With the publication of two collections of poetry written in Jamaican dialect, Songs of Jamaica and Constab Ballads, both in 1912, he received recognition as a rising poet among American poets. After the publication of his first two albums of poetry, he pursued further education at Tuskegee Institute in Alabama from 1912 to 1914, and Kansas State College in 1914. In 1914, McKay settled down in New York and was soon married and expecting a child. Unfortunately, due to marriage problems, his pregnant wife left him. After several years of depression and little writing, McKay decided to return to his gift. (Giles 1)
Some of McKay’s next moves as a rising poet were accepting an editorial position for The Liberator and authoring several articles for the Democratic Party (Britannica). McKay returned to his poetry as well. In the 1920s, he produced “Baptism,” “The White House,” “The Lynching,” and “If We Must Die.” The latter was composed in response to the Red Summer of 1919, an era of fear and violence that accompanied World War I. This sonnet was later referred to by Winston Churchill as, “an anthem of resistance.” McKay also wrote a series of novels describing his homeland, Jamaica. Although he covered a wide variety of topics in his poems and novels spanning from his homeland to romance and love, most of McKay’s work centered around black history and his Jamaican heritage (Poets.org). McKay wrote with a common purpose of uniting blacks and creating, “a distinctive black identity” (Britannica).
During several extensive trips abroad, McKay received inspiration for a literature movement in the United States. He longed for a way for blacks to be set apart from whites and to return to their old African culture. He received criticism from many liberal Americans because of his calls for a distinguished black society. McKay was particularly interested in a neighborhood in New York, in the Manhattan area, where blacks felt independent of white influence and safe to be themselves. This area became known as Black Manhattan and the “Negro Mecca.” The final name was Harlem, which meant, “city of refuge.” In Harlem, blacks felt separate from whites and racism and free to dream (Chambers 25). These racial conflicts inspired a literary movement known as the Harlem Renaissance, which began in the early 1920’s.
McKay, along with James Weldon Johnson and Charles W. Chesnutt, was one of the founding fathers of the Harlem Renaissance. Countee Cullen, Langston Hughes, and Zora Neale Hurston soon joined them. These writers told of struggles to overcome racial boundaries of the time as well as set new standards for blacks. They called for a new age of blacks in America, those who were strong, perseverant, and determined to create a new image for themselves. The writers were eloquent, educated, and motivated to make something significant out of their lives and to show those outside of Harlem what African Americans are capable of (McElrath 1).
McKay’s poetry collection Harlem Shadows (1922) was written and published during the heart of the Harlem Renaissance. This collection directly espouses the primary focuses of the movement established by McKay, Johnson, and Chesnutt to empower and instill hope in African Americans. The poems in Harlem Shadows describe McKay’s home in Jamaica, his family, his initial years in the United States, and the racism and prejudice he was subjected to as an African American. This collection ties these experiences and emotions together to encourage other African American citizens and writers to embrace their heritages and identities as United States citizens and to stand strong through the abuse they suffered because of their color. Harlem Shadows empowers blacks to embrace their past in the present (McElrath 1).
The artistic movement ended in the 1930’s, at the beginning of the Great Depression when resources were scarce and many Harlem Renaissance artists were forced to find other forms of income and different lifestyles. However, the Harlem Renaissance started a wave of hope among African American citizens and artists that led to the Civil Rights Movement later on in the 20th century. Harlem Renaissance writers give readers today glimpses of black segregation and persecution as well as the intense pride and loyalty in African American history (McElrath 1).
After the movement, McKay continued writing and travelling on his own until he began to have heart problems, forcing him to permanently reside in the United States and live a slower life. He wrote a few pieces including an autobiography. In 1944, while living in Chicago, McKay suffered from congestive heart failure and passed away, leaving a legacy of hope, inspiration, change, and masterpieces. (Giles 1)
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