Performing artists of the Harlem Renaissance: Resistance, identity, and meaning in the life and work of Fredi Washington from 1920 to 1950

Focusing upon the intersection between the artistic and political realms, this dissertation provides a new paradigm for comprehending the Harlem or New Negro Renaissance that explores the performing arts within the social, cultural, and political context of the era. New Negro performing artists fused artistry with activism, demanded recognition of their talent and humanity, and established an alternative cite of power. Exemplifying the fusion between the arts and politics, artist and activist Fredi Washington is my primary site of inquiry. Both on and off the stage and screen, Washington challenged the racial and gender hierarchies that denied the vast scope of African American women's identity and talent. With Washington as its centerpiece, this work is a collective biography that moves forward chronologically and combines artistic and political analysis. Through this lens the New Negro Renaissance reveals itself to be a vibrant, compelling, and highly contested movement for social and political change that embodied diverse artistic genres and resisted the boundaries of class and gender. The convergence of art, politics, and identity formation delineates the thematic perspective of this project and illustrates the centrality of performing arts as a means of cultural expression and political resistance.;Focusing upon Washington's early life, chapter one poses the question, "What makes a New Negro?" and argues that the New Negro artists of the twentieth century built upon the legacies of the black performing artists who went before them. Chapter two explores the 1921 production of Shuffle Along as a transgressive New Negro performance and a significant influence upon Washington's future life and career. Chapter Three follows black performers from vaudeville to their work in performances that represented black social issues. Chapter Four explores Hollywood images of African Americans and their efforts to shape their own representation, concentrating on Washington's performance in the 1934 film Imitation of Life. The final chapter considers black performing artists' efforts to organize professionally and politically and Washington's role as a founder of the Negro Actors Guild of America.