Encyclopedia of the Harlem Renaissance


The Encyclopedia of the Harlem Renaissance by Sandra L. West and Aberjhani, is a 2003 encyclopedia of the lives, events, and culture of the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s to 1940s. An ebook edition was published through Infobase Publishing in 2010.

Additional authors

In addition to the hundreds of articles written by West and Aberjhani, the Encyclopedia also includes an extended foreword by Clement Alexander Price. The founder and director of the Institute on Ethnicity, Culture, and the Modern Experience at Rutgers University, Dr. Price in 2013 was appointed by Barack Obama to the presidential advisory council on historic preservation. Other key contributors to the volume are: Iris Formey Dawson, Vaughnette Goode-Walker, Ja A. Jahannes, Karen E. Johnson, and Mary C. Lewis.

Reception

Acknowledged as the first encyclopedic volume on the subject, Encyclopedia of the Harlem Renaissance upon publication received generally favorable reviews. Essence Magazine featured the title in its Christmas and Kwanzaa gift-giving guide, the Times of Trenton described it as, "a fascinating guide to a colorful and culturally productive era in African-American history," and the Rudolph Fisher Newsletter called it, "an outstanding reference resource highly recommended for libraries of all sizes." In February 2006, Black Issues Book Review voted the encyclopedia one of its “essential titles for the home library.” In addition, both the American Reference Books Annual, and Libraries Unlimited’s Recommended Reference Books for Small and Medium-sized Libraries and Media Centers, list the Encyclopedia among its highly suggested titles.

Awards

Awards it has received include the Choice Academic Title Award, the “Best History Book Award”, and the 1999-2005.

Impact on Field of Study

Since its initial hard copy release in paperback and hardback editions in 2003, Encyclopedia of the Harlem Renaissance has prompted an increase in studies of the Jazz Age era. Some of these studies have taken the form of novels and plays set in the era while others have resulted in new biographies of key players in the renaissance. In addition to being cited in numerous scholarly journals the encyclopedia has also become a resource for diverse authors who continue to expand and extend the field of study. The following is a partial list of titles that reference the volume: