Latin American immigrants, and his writings re-
flect his earnest efforts to investigate alternative
political philosophies that might prove emancipa-
tory and empowering for peoples of color.
Though he was quite removed from the New
York circles in which he used to participate, news of
his passing in 1966 circulated among American writ-
ers. In a letter to Walrond’s dear friend Langston
Hughes, ARNABONTEMPSasked whether or not he
had “heard that Eric Walrond died in England a cou-
ple of weeks ago.” Bontemps went on to note that
Walrond, who had suffered some four heart attacks
previously, was struck down by a fifth while walking
“on a street in London” (Nichols, 474).
Eric Walrond, like the Jamaican-born CLAUDE
MCKAY, generated incisive critiques of American
society and African-American identity during the
Harlem Renaissance. As a West Indian with expe-
riences in England and the United States, Walrond
was poised to become a multifaceted commentator
on the experiences of people of color, nationalism,
and the legacies of colonialism. Walrond’s impor-
tant contributions to the Harlem Renaissance pe-
riod lie in the diversity of literature that he
produced and in the richness of the social realism
and political commentary that he generated during
his career.
Bibliography
Berry, Jay. “Eric Walrond.” Dictionary of Literary Biogra-
phy,Volume 51: 296–300.
Kaplan, Carla. Zora Neale Hurston: A Life in Letters.New
York: Doubleday, 2002.
“Negro Author’s $2,500 Fellowship.” New York Times, 29
April, 1928, 16.
Nichols, Charles H., ed. Arna Bontemps-Langston Hughes
Letters, 1925–1967. New York: Paragon House,
1990.
Parascandola, Louis, ed. Winds Can Wake Up the Dead:
An Eric Walrond Reader.Detroit: Wayne State Uni-
versity Press, 1998.
Walton, Lester A. (1882–1965)
A journalist, drama critic, and leader in the
African-American theater community of the
Harlem Renaissance, Walton arrived in New York
several years before the Harlem Renaissance
began. In 1908 he joined the staff of the NEW
YORKAGEas drama critic. He became managing
editor of the newspaper before he resigned in 1914.
Walton’s involvement in theater demon-
strated his love of the craft, support for the emerg-
ing community, and vision for the future. He was a
member of The Frogs, a small group of African-
American men dedicated to excellence in theater.
Founded in 1908 by George Walker, the group in-
cluded legendary performers and entertainment
veterans such as Bert Williams, Jesse Shipp, James
Reese Europe, and J. Rosamond Johnson, brother
of JAMESWELDONJOHNSON, the writer, diplomat,
and staff member of the NATIONALASSOCIATION
FOR THEADVANCEMENT OF COLORED PEOPLE.
The group, which became a highly respected club
for African-American professionals in diverse
fields, worked to develop archival holdings relat-
ing to African-American history and to establish a
library devoted to the African-American theater
tradition.
Walton succeeded in securing the LAFAYETTE
THEATRE, the first NEWYORKCITYtheater to de-
segregate its seating. Under his management, the
Anita Bush Company affiliated with the Lafayette
and became the Lafayette Players Stock Company.
Walton continued to be involved in African-
American uplift and was dedicated to the eco-
nomic advancement of the race. He was a member
of the National Negro Business League and con-
tinued to participate in efforts to secure civil and
equal rights for people of color.Bibliography
“The Frogs.” Schomburg Center for Research in Black
Culture. Available online. URL: http://www.si.
umich.edu/CHICO/Harlem/text/frogs.html. Down-
loaded December 2004.
Krasner, David. A Beautiful Pageant: African American
Theatre, Drama, and Performance in the Harlem Re-
naissance, 1910–1927.New York: Palgrave Macmil-
lan, 2002.Washington, Booker Taliaferro
(1856–1915)
Washington, who died just as the Harlem Renais-
sance was beginning, established an institution that
impacted the lives of many writers associated with
the literary period. The school, which represented552 Walton, Lester A.