When the Negro Was In Vogue—Nigger Heaven Summary and Analysis

As jazz, blues, and the Charleston gain popularity, it becomes very chic for the upper crust to visit Harlem. Rich white people come to the black district of Harlem to enjoy the performers in the night clubs, but also to people-watch the black customers of the clubs. After being downtrodden for so long, many of the black folks living in Harlem are happy that their day has finally come, and blacks are becoming more acceptable to the wealthy. Langston, however, thinks that it is just a fad, and that as soon as the whites get tired of the novelty of African-American culture, they will stop spending money to enjoy it. He turns out to be right, and when the Depression makes times hard for the...