Historical Context
Illuminating Langston Hughes and the Harlem Renaissance
The Harlem Renaissance, often celebrated as the New Negro Movement, marks a vibrant chapter of cultural rebirth during the 1920s. This flourishing period saw a blossoming of African-American literature, primarily nurtured in the heart of Harlem, New York City. The writers of the Harlem Renaissance catapulted African-American narratives into a new dawn, weaving tales of black life and culture infused with an unyielding spirit of racial pride and self-determination. Esteemed publications, Crisis and Opportunity, emerged as pivotal forces, championing the voices of budding writers who would become the vanguard of this transformative movement. The Renaissance extended its influence beyond literature, inspiring a new wave of artists and musicians who embarked on parallel journeys of cultural exploration. Among the iconic figures was Langston Hughes (1902–1967), a towering poet of the era. His debut poetry collection, The Weary Blues (1926), heralded his arrival, while his penetrating novel, Not Without Laughter (1930), further cemented his legacy. Hughes is fondly remembered throughout Blues for an Alabama Sky, where the fictional characters navigate gatherings in his honor, mingling with other luminaries of the Harlem Renaissance.
The Shadow of the Depression Era
Blues for an Alabama Sky unfurls its narrative in the somber year of 1930, just a heartbeat away from the cataclysmic stock market crash of 1929, which plunged the nation into depression. This economic downturn cast a long shadow over the vibrant Harlem Renaissance, stifling the creative aspirations of many African-American writers and artists. Within the play, Angel's poignant observations paint a stark portrait of the economic desolation in Harlem. She laments the scarcity of work, bemoaning how "the Depression has killed all the nightlife in Harlem." Angel paints a vivid picture, "There aren’t any jobs doing anything, especially singing for your supper. Whole families sitting on the sidewalk with their stuff set out beside them. No place to sleep. No place to wash." Her despairing words echo the widespread struggle, "I’ve never seen things this bad all over. Nobody’s working and nobody’s got prospects." Through Angel's experiences, Cleage skillfully chronicles the devastating impact of the Great Depression on Harlem's African-American community, highlighting the thwarted dreams of writers, performers, and artists.
The Reverberations of Reverend Powell and the Abyssinian Church
In this dramatic tapestry, Cleage threads mentions of influential African-American political figures such as Reverend Adam Clayton Powell Jr., Booker T. Washington, and Marcus Garvey. The play's fictional characters share a tangible connection with the historical Reverend Powell, the esteemed pastor of the Abyssinian Church in Harlem. Within the narrative, Delia successfully persuades Reverend Powell to support the establishment of a family planning clinic, reflecting his real-life advocacy. Historically, Powell was a trailblazing public official, holding office from the 1940s until the 1960s. In 1941, he shattered barriers as the first African American elected to the New York City Council. By 1945, he had ascended to the U.S. House of Representatives, serving eleven terms. Powell's legacy is marked by his vigorous support for over fifty liberal legislative acts aimed at advancing civil rights, ending segregation, and fostering education and fair labor practices. His political journey culminated in retirement in 1971, followed by his passing a year later.
The Pulse of the Black Arts Movement
In her preface to Blues for an Alabama Sky , Cleage proudly identifies as "a child of the Black Arts Movement." This vibrant cultural awakening of the 1960s and 1970s, also known as the Black Aesthetic Movement, embodied the fervor of black nationalism, championing literature steeped in political and social significance, often articulated in the rich tones of Black English vernacular....
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Key figures such as Amiri Baraka (LeRoi Jones), Eldridge Cleaver, and Ntozake Shange emerged as voices of this movement. Cleage's literary journey began amidst this creative upheaval, her work gaining national recognition in the 1980s and 1990s.Blues for an Alabama Sky resonates with the enduring influence of the Black Arts Movement, delving into the pressing issues within the African-American community, addressing both the external forces of racial oppression and the internal divisions that shaped the cultural landscape.
Style and Technique
Setting: Harlem, New York
Blues for an Alabama Sky unfolds amidst the vibrant streets of Harlem, New York City, during the pulsating era of the Harlem Renaissance. The backdrop is crucial to Cleage’s fictional narrative, anchoring it within a vivid historical and geographical tapestry. To grasp the weight of this locale, one must delve into Harlem's pivotal role in African-American history. From the late 19th century into the 20th, Harlem emerged as a prominent enclave for African-Americans. The community began establishing roots in Harlem apartments around the 1890s, with Lenox Avenue earning fame as a hub for African-American life and 125th Street as the bustling "Main Stem" of Harlem's commercial activities.
In Blues for an Alabama Sky, Cleage meticulously names specific Harlem streets of historical resonance, skillfully embedding her play within a distinct cultural and temporal framework. Her depiction of the "Time and Place" remarks on Margaret Sanger's efforts to inaugurate a family planning clinic on 126th Street. The narrative reveals that Angel's previous abode, financed by an ex-gangster beau, was situated on Lenox Avenue. As the curtain rises, characters Guy and Leland are seen assisting a tipsy Angel down 125th Street under the cloak of night. Guy challenges Angel, urging her to transcend the confines of Harlem for a brighter future, advising, "For prospects, you gotta look past 125th Street." Angel later voices a fear of ending up "a broke old woman, begging up and down 125th Street."
Guy poignantly reflects on Harlem’s unrealized potential, lamenting the era's dreams dashed by the Great Depression's grip. He muses, "Harlem was supposed to be a place where Negroes could come together and really walk about, and for a red-hot minute, we did." Through this vivid historical landscape, Cleage captures the essence of an epoch through her imaginary yet deeply relatable characters.
Historical Fiction
Cleage’s creation stands as a testament to historical fiction, weaving real-life personalities into the fabric of a story centered on fictional figures. She deftly blurs the line between history and imagination, crafting a world where her characters encounter influential figures like Adam Clayton Powell, a dynamic activist and political leader; Margaret Sanger, the trailblazer in family planning; Josephine Baker, the charismatic nightclub sensation; and Langston Hughes, the iconic voice of the Harlem Renaissance.
Bibliography
Sources
American Theatre, Interview, Vol. 13, No. 6, July–August 1996.
Cleage, Pearl, Blues for an Alabama Sky, in Flyin’ West and Other Plays, Theatre Communications Group, 1999, pp. 87–186.
Effinger, Marta J., ‘‘Pearl Cleage,’’ in Dictionary of Literary Biography, Volume 228: Twentieth-Century American Dramatists, Second Series, edited by Christopher J. Wheatley, The Gale Group, 2000, pp. 53–58.
Giles, Freda Scott, ‘‘The Motion of Herstory: Three Plays by Pearl Cleage,’’ in African American Review, Vol. 31, No. 4, Winter 1997, p. 709.
———, Review of Bourbon at the Border, in African American Review, Vol. 31, No. 4, Winter 1997, p. 725.
Gilliam, Annette, ‘‘Romance, AIDS Explored in Pearl Cleage’s New Novel,’’ in Washington Informer, Vol. 34, February 4, 1998, p. 16.
Weiss, Hedy, ‘‘Blues for an Alabama Sky,’’ in Chicago Sun Times, March 17, 1998, p. 30.
Further Reading
Cleage, Pearl,
Deals with the Devil and Other Reasons to Riot
, Ballantine, 1993. Deals with the Devil is a collection of forty essays by Cleage on issues facing African Americans, covering such figures as Malcolm X, Clarence Thomas, and Arsenio Hall, as well as the films Driving Miss Daisy and Daughters of the Dust.
———, What Looks Like Crazy on an Ordinary Day—: A Novel, Avon Books, 1997. Cleage’s first novel concerns an African-American woman who is HIV-positive and who falls in love with the man of her dreams.
Fabre, Genevieve, and Michel Feith, eds., Temples for Tomorrow: Looking Back at the Harlem Renaissance, Indiana University Press, 2000. Fabre and Feith offer a collection of essays on the continuing influence of the Harlem Renaissance on American culture.
Floyd, Samuel A., Jr., ed., Black Music in the Harlem Renaissance: A Collection of Essays, Greenwood Press, 1990. Floyd provides a collection of essays on African- American music of the Harlem Renaissance.
Hughes, Langston, The Big Sea: An Autobiography, A. A. Knopf, 1940. The Big Sea is an autobiography by Langston Hughes, one of the most important poets of the Harlem Renaissance.
Rodgers, Marie E., The Harlem Renaissance: An Annotated Reference Guide for Student Research, Libraries United, 1998. This is a reference bibliography with brief synopses of publications about the Harlem Renaissance. It is designed as an aid for students wishing to learn more about the Harlem Renaissance.
Spencer, Jon Michael, The New Negroes and Their Music: The Success of the Harlem Renaissance, University of Tennessee Press, 1997. Spencer offers an historical account of the musical developments of the Harlem Renaissance.
Watson, Steven, The Harlem Renaissance: Hub of African- American Culture, 1920–1930, Pantheon Books, 1995. Watson provides a history of the Harlem Renaissance in terms of its influence on African-American culture.
