The comfort of the walls of a building provides a warmth to relax as someone experiencing being embraced. The walls both inside and out of the structure - identifies the uniqueness of the designer's vision to be a testimony for future generations. The building will be used to showcase different thoughts, moods, aura of creativity, and most importantly be the signature of the individual expression of life.
Architecture is just that - a work of art.
Prior to the golden years of the Harlem Renaissance in the 1920’s prominent black architects demonstrated their way of building structures that represented African-American cultural views, style, and expression. One of the most memorable motivator of giving black architectural more expsoure during the turn of the 20th century was no-one other than Booker T. Washington, born in 1856, he was a pioneer of political thought and cultural identity.
Washington's family soon left to join his stepfather in Malden, West Virginia. The young boy took a job in a salt mine that began at 4 a.m. so he could attend school later in the day. Within a few years, Booker was taken in as a houseboy by a wealthy towns-woman who further encouraged his longing to learn. At age 16, he walked much of the 500 miles back to Virginia to enroll in a new school for black students.
He knew that even poor students could get an education at Hampton Institute, paying their way by working. He came full circle, back to earning his living by menial tasks. Yet his entrance to Hampton led him away from a life of forced labor for good and where he became an instructor. Later, his inner passion to bring together designers and builders of a profound testimony for black folks for future generations.
His commission of black architects from MIT; one of which was Robert Taylor, to come to Alabama and build Tuskegee University shaped the mold of black creativity. His vision of style and love of black culture influence the young minds of architects to achieve greatness as well as enriching their lives. As the principal and the guiding force behind Tuskegee Institute he sustain as the leader of social and cultural change. At Tuskegee he became recognized
The copyright of the article Harlem: The 1920s Part Two in Writing from Harlem is owned by Nichel Anderson. Permission to republish Harlem: The 1920s Part Two in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
Latest Articles