Arna Bontemps

Date of Birth: October 13, 1902

Zodiac Sign: Libra

Date of Death: June 4, 1973

Biography

Arna Wendell Bontemps was an influential African American poet, novelist, and librarian who played a significant role in the Harlem Renaissance. Born in Alexandria, Louisiana, and later moving to California, Bontemps developed a deep passion for literature and African American culture. He earned his undergraduate degree from Pacific Union College in Angwin, California, and later moved to New York, where he became a central figure in the Harlem Renaissance. His works often explored themes of racial identity, heritage, and the African American experience. Bontemps’s literary career included poetry, short stories, children’s books, and collaborations with other African American writers, such as Langston Hughes. Some of his notable works include the poetry collection “Personals” and the children’s book “Popo and Fifina: Children of Haiti,” co-authored with Hughes. Bontemps also worked as a librarian at Fisk University, where he curated a significant collection of African American literature and history. His dedication to preserving African American culture and history has left a lasting impact on American literature.

5 Interesting Facts about Arna Bontemps

1. Arna Bontemps was a close friend and collaborator of Langston Hughes, with whom he co-authored several children’s books.

2. He served as the head librarian at Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee, where he significantly expanded the library’s collection of African American literature.

3. Bontemps received a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1938 for his contributions to literature.

4. He was a member of the Omega Psi Phi fraternity, which has a long history of supporting African American culture and education.

5. Bontemps’s work was not only influential during the Harlem Renaissance but also played a crucial role in the subsequent Civil Rights Movement.

5 Most Interesting Quotes from Arna Bontemps

1. “Truth is not only stranger than fiction, but it is also more interesting.”

2. “We offered the world our songs, our dances, our poetry, our stories, and our dreams.”

3. “The past is a ghost, the future a dream, and all we ever have is now.”

4. “My aim has been to tell the truth of the Negro’s experience in America and to portray its beauty and its pain.”

5. “Literature is the most agreeable way of ignoring life.”

Highest Net Worth Achieved

There is no precise record of Arna Bontemps’s net worth; however, his contributions to literature and education were invaluable and have had a lasting cultural impact.

Children

Arna Bontemps had six children: Paul, Arna Jr., Camille, Connie, Joan, and Poppy. His children have continued to honor his legacy, with some of them actively involved in preserving his work and contributions to African American literature.