How Did Carl Van Vechten Influence The Harlem Renaissance

The broad topic of my research is the influence of Carl Van Vechten and other white patrons on the artists of the Harlem Renaissance. At the time of the Harlem Renaissance African Americans lacked the social and economic institutions to support a full cultural uplift on the scale that was required to make an impact. Many turned to prominent and rich white patrons with connections to the arts in order to get their messages across. Many of these white patrons gave financial support like Charlotte Mason Osgood who helped Langston Hughes through college and financially supported him during the early stages of his career. Others like Carl Van Vechten used their positions in popular magazines to promote these new artists and held parties to introduce

Because of the lack of social and economic institutions many african americans could not afford to become artists without the help of white patrons. But these patrons wanted something in return, they wanted their view of african american culture. This dependency lead to white patrons pushing towards more primitivism, emotionalism and african roots as opposed to the artists creating their own work just for the sake of creating. I argue that these patrons pushed their own agenda and preconceived notions of african american culture to push their idea of what it meant to be black and to take advantage of african americans poor economic and social stands at the time of the Harlem Renaissance. These patrons while starting with some genuine interest reduced the Harlem Renaissance to a sensationalist movement to gawked at by dominant white society of 1920s america. Instead of allowing for free expression they lead the Harlem Renaissance towards a path of unsustainability, dependence and

Hughes was supported financially through the 1920s by Charlotte Mason Osgood who demanded he call her “Godmother”. Osgood put hughes through college and financially supported him while he worked on his poetry demanding that he do so as long as it was what she wanted during this time. “attempting to steer him in the direction of primitivism, encouraging him to "maintain" a connection with Africa” (Cottenet) Her demands and control over him drove Hughes to eventually break away from her cutting his ties and moving on as he became more established as a poet. Another major influence was Carl Van Vechten who helped jumpstart his career. He introduced Hughes to many white publishers including his future publishers the Knopf's. Hughes felt grateful to Van Vechten as he dedicated his second book to him. ALthough he seemed to have a genuine interest in Hughes Van Vechten may have had his own reasons for helping the aspiring artist. “ An open homosexual, Van Vechten might have been attracted to the handsome young poet; he was first and foremost fascinated with African American culture, and the modernist aspirations of the "younger generation" of Negro writers.”