color. The story ends somewhat obliquely as An-
gelique now grasps at the chance to be saved by an-
other young man named Asshur, who has promised
to return to Edendale and to save her.
Fauset’s tale of class stratification, complicated
intraracial romances, and stigma further broad-
ened the scope of Harlem Renaissance literature
that explored African-American family lives and
community dynamics. Fauset used the specter of
incest to intensify the traditional plot of the tragic
mulatto and to consider the devastating effects of
seduction and secrecy within middle-class commu-
nities of color.
Dougherty, Romeo Lionel (1906–1944)
An energetic reporter whose life was cut short.
Dougherty, who published under the name “Lionel
Dougherty,” was a journalist who worked on the
staff of three East Coast papers. He began his ca-
reer as a Brooklyn Eaglereporter, became the AMS-
TERDAMNEWSsports and drama editor, and finally
served for a time as the editor and manager of the
Washington Sun.
Douglas, Aaron(1888–1979)
A talented painter whose works established his
reputation as one of the most well-known artists of
the Harlem Renaissance. He won major arts fel-
lowships sponsored by a number of foundations
supportive of African-American arts efforts, in-
cluding the Barnes Foundation Fellowship. His ca-
reer began in the 1920s, and it was the commission
to illustrate THENEWNEGRO,edited by ALAIN
LOCKE, that began his lengthy and influential par-
ticipation in the Harlem Renaissance. Like ZORA
NEALE HURSTON,LANGSTON HUGHES, and
Locke, Douglas enjoyed the financial support of
CHARLOTTEOSGOODMASON, a wealthy white
patron of the period.
Douglas’s art graced the pages of a variety of
first-rate publications. His works, which ap-
peared in THE CRISIS,VANITYFAIR, and the
AMERICANMERCURY,also secured his contracts
to provide illustrations for books by prominent
Harlem Renaissance–era writers. Douglas worked
with JAMES WELDON JOHNSON, Alain Locke,
CARL VAN VECHTEN, and many others. The
Works Progress Administration (WPA) commis-
sioned his murals for the NEWYORKPUBLICLI-
BRARYbranch in HARLEM. In these murals, which
he entitled Aspects of Negro Life,Douglas provided
powerful images of black life. He designed posters
for the KRIGWAPLAYERS, the drama troupe that
W. E. B. DUBOISestablished in Harlem. Douglas,
who earned his bachelor’s degree in fine arts from
the University of Kansas, later became a professor
of art at FISKUNIVERSITY.Bibliography
Henderson, Harry Brinton. A History of African-Ameri-
can Artists: From 1792 to the Present.New York:
Pantheon Books, 1993.
Kirschke, Amy. Aaron Douglas: Art, Race, and the Harlem
Renaissance.Jackson: University Press of Missis-
sippi, 1995.“Drab Rambles”Marita Bonner(1927)
“Drab Rambles” was made up of two carefully ren-
dered stories about the plight of African-American
workers. MARITABONNER’s stories, which appeared
in the December 1927 issue of OPPORTUNITY,were
powerful commentaries on the unwarranted humili-
ations visited upon African Americans and critiques
of the limited understanding that whites had of the
extent of their own privilege and insensitivity.
The first section, prefaced by Bonner’s mysti-
cal invocation, “I am you and I am myself,” focused
on a hard-working man named Peter Jackson,
whose life of toil has ruined his heart. He suffers
the rudeness of the hospital staff for a time but ulti-
mately chastises his doctor for his thoughtless state-
ments about his health and options for recovery.
The second narration follows the character
Madie Frye, a diligent laundry worker who is forced
to hide her first child, born of the unwanted sexual
advances from a former white male employer, while
she works. The tragedy here is that Madie is ac-
costed again and left to wonder how she will juggle
raising two children and the pressing demands of a
labor-intensive job. Bonner’s narrator is an ardent,
albeit helpless, champion of these two powerful
archetypes. The piece closes with a haunting warn-
ing that seems directed toward whites in particular:
“the blood will flow back to you—and you will
care,” announces the narrator. Bonner’s critique“Drab Rambles” 121