Arna Wendell Bontemps, an influential figure in American literature, was born in 1902 in the vibrant city of Alexandria, Louisiana. Raised by a father who was a Roman Catholic brick mason turned minister, and a creative mother, Bontemps was inspired from a young age to pursue a path enriched by imagination and storytelling. His journey would take him from the racial tensions of the South to the intellectual circles of Harlem, eventually shaping him into a celebrated poet, novelist, and librarian.

Early Life and Influences

In the tender years of his childhood, Bontemps's family relocated to California's Watts district. This move was prompted by his father's desire to escape the systemic racism of the South, a decision catalyzed by a humiliating encounter with two inebriated white men. Young Arna, too little to grasp the weight of this experience, later found himself navigating a predominantly white environment at San Fernando Academy. Misunderstanding his father's cautionary advice not to "act all colored," Bontemps felt as though he was being asked to deny his heritage. This advice, coupled with efforts to distance him from his lively, storytelling uncle Buddy, left a lasting impression. Despite these efforts, Uncle Buddy's influence endured, inspiring the protagonist of Bontemps’s debut novel, God Sends Sunday (1931).

Educational Pursuits and the Harlem Renaissance

Bontemps's schooling experience engendered in him a longing to explore and assert his cultural identity. This drive led him towards literature as a means to educate others about African American heritage and dismantle prevailing stereotypes. After obtaining his bachelor’s degree from Pacific Union College in 1923, he moved to Harlem, a hub of African American culture and intellect. While teaching at Harlem Academy, he contributed his first poem, "Hope," to The Crisis in 1924. In 1926, he married Alberta Johnson, and together they raised six children, further enriching his personal and creative life.

Teaching and Political Turmoil in the South

In 1931, Bontemps accepted a teaching post at Oakwood Junior College in Huntsville, Alabama, drawn by the region's natural beauty and gentler pace. However, this period coincided with the infamous Scottsboro trials, during which nine young African American men were falsely accused of rape. Friends from his Harlem days, such as Hughes and Countée Cullen, visited Bontemps during their protests against this grave injustice. The college administration, wary of Bontemps's activism and interest in black history, pressured him to publicly renounce his political beliefs by burning radical literature. Unwilling to comply, Bontemps resigned in 1934, choosing principle over position.

New Beginnings in Chicago

In 1935, Bontemps found a new opportunity at Shiloh Academy in Chicago. Three years later, he joined the Federal Writers’ Project of the Illinois Works Progress Administration as an editorial supervisor, mingling with literary figures like Richard Wright and Saul Bellow. His novel, Drums at Dusk, released in 1939, marked a new chapter in his writing career. Throughout the 1940s and beyond, he authored children’s books and continued expanding his literary repertoire.

Legacy as a Librarian and Scholar

In 1943, armed with a master's degree in library science from the University of Chicago, Bontemps became a librarian at Fisk University in Atlanta. Over two decades, he transformed the library into a bastion of African American culture, amassing a significant collection of archives, including Langston Hughes’s papers. His editorial work with Hughes on African American poetry collections further cemented his legacy as a champion of black literature. His poetry collection, Personals, published in 1963, reflected his enduring engagement with the poetic form.

Final Years and Continuing Impact

In his later years, Bontemps served in various academic and curatorial roles, including curator of the James Weldon Johnson Collection at Yale University. He shared his passion as a visiting scholar at the University of Illinois and as a poet-in-residence at Fisk University. Through these roles, he continued to inspire and influence a new generation of writers and scholars, leaving an indelible mark on American literary and cultural history.