Claude McKay was born in Sunny Ville, Jamaica, and had a very good childhood. Claude was exposed to things that not every child would find interesting. . In 1907, he caught the attention of Walter Jekyll, who influenced him to write his poems with his jamaican background. Claude somehow got the money, and moved to Harlem, New York City in 1914. Through his work, he told the stories of the average black person around that time period. …show more content…
“The Harlem Dancer” and “Invocation," and later used the form in writing about social and political concerns from his perspective as a black man in the United States.” He was discovered by Frank Hattis, and put some of his work in Pearson’s Magazine. McKay’s most famous poems is “To the White Fiends,” about the oppressed white person. Later, McKay became friends with Max Eastman, who was the editor of a magazine called “Liberator”. He published several poems in the Liberator, and one being one of his most famous, “If We Must Die,”.
Claude Mckay’s work influenced the Harlem Renaissance. They spoke about the cultures and life of blacks. Home to Harlem, a novel written by him, told the stories of a black soldier who left his military duties, and came back home to harlem. It gave readers an idealistic view on Harlem, strong opinions and how people viewed Harlem and African American lives. His second novel, gave more realistic stories of the blacks. Claude Mckay’s stories helped blacks fight for their equal