The theme of skin color is a central element in much of the literature from the Harlem Renaissance. A glance at the titles in Cullen’s debut poetry collection, Color, reveals his profound awareness of race and its effects in America. Titles like “To a Brown Girl” and “Black Magdalens” emphasize this theme. In the poem “The Shroud of Color,” Cullen contemplates his racial identity and the experience of being marginalized due to his skin color:

Lord, being dark, forwilled to that despair
My color shrouds me in, I am as dirt
Beneath my brother’s heel.

Moreover, numerous authors of the era explored the concept of “passing,” where a light-skinned black individual lives as white. In Larsen’s novel Passing, the protagonist endures tragedy when her white husband learns of her African-American roots. In another of Larsen’s works, Quicksand, the mixed-race protagonist struggles to find a place in society where she feels both comfortable and accepted. She feels constrained within black society and dissatisfied when attempting to pass as white.

Numerous authors from this era highlighted their African roots. Some idealized Africa as an ancient homeland and a bountiful source of artistic inspiration. For instance, in his poem “The Negro Speaks of Rivers,” Hughes alludes to the centuries of African history within him:

I bathed in the Euphrates when dawns were young.
I built my hut near the Congo and it lulled me to sleep

Cullen's renowned poem, “Heritage,” honors the rich cultural legacy rediscovered by many Renaissance artists. Within the poem, he reflects on the importance of Africa to himself and other black Americans.

In his anthology The New Negro: An Interpretation, Locke urges young black artists and writers to seek inspiration from their African heritage, setting it apart from the prevailing white American-European culture. The anthology concludes with an essay by Du Bois, advocating that American blacks connect with blacks worldwide, promoting a Pan-African movement. In fact, The New Negro and other books released during the Renaissance often incorporated African-inspired motifs and designs.

During the Renaissance, a significant challenge for writers was how to represent African-American life. Many authors and intellectuals aimed to depict black society in a positive manner, crafting narratives with educated, middle-class characters striving to succeed in a predominantly white America. On the other hand, some felt that white perspectives on black society were irrelevant and that literature should embrace all aspects of the African-American experience. This debate was further complicated by the fact that sensational or primitive portrayals of black life often sold better, especially to white audiences.

For example, many black intellectuals criticized the first and only edition of the literary magazine Fire!!, published by Walter Thurman. Although it included stories and poems from some of Harlem’s most acclaimed young writers, the content did not align with the positive racial image that thinkers like Du Bois and Benjamin Brawley considered appropriate. The issue featured pieces on topics such as prostitution, homosexuality, racial tension, and conflicts among lower-class black men and women. Allegedly, Brawley was so upset that he burned his copy. In response to the notion that black writers should be mindful of their subject matter, Hughes wrote in his 1926 article “The Negro Artist and the Racial Mountain,” stating, “If white people are pleased we are glad. If they are not, it doesn’t matter. . . . If colored people are pleased we are glad. If they are not, their displeasure doesn’t matter, either.”

McKay was a writer often criticized by the black intelligentsia for his negative portrayals of black people. His novel Home to Harlem upset many who believed it reinforced stereotypes of blacks as primitive savages, indulging in their baser instincts despite wearing fine clothes, all set against the backdrop of Harlem's nightclubs and speakeasies. Similarly, Hurston faced criticism for writing stories perceived as overly bawdy and crude. However, she defended her work, claiming it authentically captured the folktales she collected from black rural communities.