Mystery of the Dark Tower (14 page)

Bessie went over and put her arms around her little brother. “Tuberculosis is a terrible disease, Eddie, but it looks like Mama's gonna get well. And Papa's bringing Mama up here to New York as soon as she's strong enough to travel.”

“Lord have mercy,” Aunt Esther said.

“I didn't even know that part,” Aunt Nellie said. “I'm so happy for y'all.”

Bessie smiled. “All along, I thought Miss A'Lelia was such a terrible woman. But she's not—she's very nice. She even said Eddie and I could stay with her at her mansion until Mama and Papa get to Harlem.”

Aunt Esther looked sad for the first time since Bessie had hugged her. “Well, of course you children would rather go stay in a mansion. I'll miss you,” she said gruffly, handing the check back to Bessie. Then she headed toward the kitchen.

“Wait, Aunt Esther,” Bessie said. “I have something else to say.”

Aunt Esther walked back. “So do I,” she said slowly. “It seems I was wrong. You and your brother are old enough to know what is happening to your own family. And me, I'm just an old-fashioned fool. I've been under a heap of strain. I hope you'll forgive me. And you too, Nellie.”

“Oh, my goodness,” Aunt Nellie said. “You didn't call me ‘Baby Sister'? I'm gonna pass right out.” Aunt Nellie pretended to faint.

“I have to accept that you're grown, Nellie,” Aunt Esther said. “And I want you to stay here as long as you want. And if you want to dance, well,” she said, shaking her head, “I suppose you're grown enough.”

“Aunt Esther, Papa asked Miss A'Lelia to give you and Aunt Nellie this check so that you can pay the rent up,” Bessie said. “And I told Miss A'Lelia that if you didn't mind, I'd like to stay here with you until Mama and Papa come to Harlem.”

“Me too,” Eddie said. “I-I'd like to st-st-stay here, too.”

“Oh, my Lord,” Aunt Esther said, hugging them both. “You children are so sweet.”

Bessie smiled and hugged her back. “After all, Aunt Esther, like Grandma used to say, ‘As long as you with your family, everything is always gonna be all right.'”

1928

G
OING
B
ACK IN
T
IME

L
OOKING
B
ACK
: 1928

In the 1920s, Harlem was one of the liveliest neighborhoods in New York City—maybe even in America. As the biggest, most prosperous African American community in the country, it drew thousands of people from all over the United States and beyond. Its rich mix of people and cultures sparked a creative explosion of African American art, music, dance, theater, and literature that became known as the
Harlem Renaissance
.

By 1915 so many African Americans lived in Harlem that it was called “the capital of Black America.” During World War I, from 1915 to 1918, tens of thousands more African Americans moved there, seeking jobs and an escape from prejudice and racial violence in the South. Through the 1920s, black people looking for opportunity headed to Harlem.

Harlem became a melting pot, bringing together African Americans from cities, villages, and farms, from the North and the South. Immigrants came from the Caribbean—like Lillian's family and Miss Flo—and from Africa. Each group brought different dialects, foods, and musical and artistic styles. Some Harlem residents were educated, others were not. All these differences led to tensions, but the people of Harlem were united by one common experience: no matter how wealthy or educated they were, they all faced prejudice because of the color of their skin.

As Harlem grew larger, its people developed a new sense of power and unity. Political leaders like Marcus Garvey and W. E. B. Du Bois encouraged African Americans to fight for their rights and to take pride in their own traditions and experience.

One of the first big events of the Harlem Renaissance occurred in 1921, when
Shuffle Along—
an all-black musical comedy featuring exciting jazz dancing—became a smash hit on Broadway. Its success opened the way for many other black musicals and dramas. For the first time, black performers achieved national stardom. Actor Paul Robeson, tap dancer Bill “Bojangles” Robinson, singers Bessie Smith and Josephine Baker, musician Louis Armstrong, and composer Duke Ellington became famous across America and Europe. Jazz dancing became an American craze. In the 1920s,
everyone
learned to dance the Charleston, just as Bessie does. Wealthy white New Yorkers flocked to Harlem's nightclubs to watch black musicians and dancers perform the hottest new music.

In spite of Harlem's popularity, prejudice against African Americans thrived. Many white nightclub owners in Harlem allowed blacks inside only if they were waiters or entertainers. In one famous incident, a black composer was barred from the nightclub where his own music was being performed.

Still, it was because of the Harlem Renaissance that jazz—which grew out of the musical traditions of southern blacks—found national popularity. Today, jazz is enjoyed not just in the United States, but around the world.

Black writers were also part of the Harlem scene. Before the early 1900s, few books by African Americans were published. That changed during the Harlem Renaissance. Writers like W. E. B. Du Bois published powerful articles arguing for the rights of African Americans. Poets like Langston Hughes and Claude McKay gained a wide audience for their eloquent poems about black life. Jessie Redmon Fauset wrote novels about the black middle and upper classes. Zora Neale Hurston wrote stories and plays showing life among poor black farmers.

The work of these and many other Harlem writers gave white Americans a fuller picture of black life. Readers began to see how African Americans in different parts of the country and in different economic classes really lived.

For the first time, too, black artists portrayed African American people in their work. Painters and sculptors like Aaron Douglas, Palmer Hayden, and Augusta Savage developed new artistic styles influenced by African American folk traditions, African art, and the energy of jazz. Wealthy art patrons sponsored contests with cash prizes for talented young artists. Carl Van Vechten, a white art critic who appears in Bessie's story, helped publicize their work. Exhibitions of work by black artists toured the country.

A'Lelia Walker—the daughter of America's first female millionaire—became a leader in the Harlem Renaissance because of the support she gave to artists and writers. Six feet tall and a dramatic dresser, Walker was a famous figure in Harlem. In 1927, she turned her mansion into a
salon
, or social club, for artists and named it the Dark Tower, after the title of a magazine column written by Harlem poet Countee Cullen. The Dark Tower became a place where New York's leading artists, writers, musicians, and thinkers could gather and share ideas.

Despite the Harlem Renaissance, black people still faced discrimination in their daily lives—in schools, housing, jobs, and even medical care. For example, whites who suffered from the deadly lung disease called
tuberculosis
, or TB, were promptly sent to government-run rest homes called
sanatoriums
for care. But blacks often ended up on sanatorium waiting lists for years. Many died while waiting. Because TB was so feared, families of all races tried to hide the fact that a loved one had this disease. Black people who could not get into a sanatorium were often hidden away to prevent infecting others and were cared for in secret, just as Bessie's mother is.

When the Great Depression hit America in 1929, people of all races lost their savings, their jobs, and even their homes. The Depression lasted through the 1930s and ended the careers of many artists and entertainers.

Yet the Harlem Renaissance still influences America today Harlem's writers, artists, musicians, and thinkers helped show the world the vitality and creativity of African American life. Their work enriched American culture and helped pave the way for future generations of African American artists.

About the Author

Evelyn Coleman believes unicorns are real and that one day she will return to her own planet. In the meantime, she has written more than ten award-winning books in different genres, from picture books to middle grade to YA to adult thrillers. She was the president of the Mystery Writers of America and is a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. Her book
Freedom Train
was on Georgia Center for the Book's inaugural list of 25 Books All Young Georgians Should Read, and
Shadows on Society Hill
was nominated for an Edgar Award. Coleman has written several books for American Girl, including her most recent novel,
The Cameo Necklace
, a mystery about the doll Cécile.

All rights reserved, including without limitation the right to reproduce this ebook or any portion thereof in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of the publisher.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, events, and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Text Copyright © 2000, 2009 by Evelyn Coleman

Map Illustration by Dahl Taylor

Line Art by Greg Dearth

Cover design by Amanda DeRosa

ISBN: 978-1-4976-4653-7

This edition published in 2014 by Open Road Integrated Media, Inc.

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New York, NY 10014

www.openroadmedia.com

MYSTERIES THROUGH HISTORY

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