Black Excellence from Harlem to Camdentown

Happy Black History Month! Although we realistically take the entire year to celebrate the achievements that have paved the way for us today, we can take this month as a time to bring some extra recognition to Black Excellence throughout our history. 

Black History month became nationally recognized in the United States in 1976. The month became an expansion of what was earlier known as Negro History Week first recognized in 1926 after Carter G. Woodson, University of Chicago Alumni and one of the founders of The Association for the Study of Negro Life and History, worked to promote the achievements and accomplishments of the black community. Woodson had earlier established the Journal of Negro History with a similar goal, and was successful in doing so. His journal gained a great deal of momentum throughout the states and promoted education, history, and research that would have been harder to access without his efforts. 

The beginnings of the celebration of Negro History week, also called Negro Achievement Week, unsurprisingly coincided with the flourishing of what we now know as the Harlem Renaissance. The Harlem Renaissance was a time when African-American art, literature, music, fashion, and culture was simultaneously innovated and uplifted. New forms of art, scholarship, and culture became expressed, and paved the way for generations to come. 

Black Excellence Expressed during The Renaissance

Aaron Douglas — Aaron Douglas was one of the most prominent figures of the Harlem Renaissance. He was a painter and illustrator that used his work to bring attention to both history and social issues of the time. 

Zora Neale Hurston — You have probably heard of Zora Neale Hurston’s most famous work Their Eyes Were Watching God. She is most well known for being a writer and documentary maker during the renaissance, but she also did quite a bit of study into religious thought, specifically hoodoo and Caribbean vodou. 

Augusta Savage — Augusta Savage was a sculptor during the Harlem Renaissance, and she was also the first person in the United States to open a gallery solely dedicated to African-American art. She was an educator to generations of art students, the first African-American woman in the National Association of Women Painters and Sculptors and the first director of the Harlem Community Art Center. 

Langston Hughes — Most of us have read some of Langston Hughes work. From poems, to essays and short stories, Hughes was an extremely talented writer who brought attention to the complex and beautiful everyday lives of his community at the time.

Black Excellence in Camdentown Today 

Kelsi Sharpe — Kelsi Sharpe calls Camdentown home and is a multifaceted artist, business owner, and community builder. She runs Cool Runnings, a run club based out of North Minneapolis, that works to bring people together through the sport of running. She is also the owner of Sharp Sign Co., using her artistic ability to create works of art for businesses across the United States. 

Houston White — We all know our founder Houston White, but Houston does a lot more than just run the cafe and barbershop. Houston has been in the North Minneapolis community for a good portion of his life and has continually used his business knowledge and forward thinking to promote our community in a multitude of ways. 

Assata Florell — Assata, like the other folks mentioned, does a lot more than one thing. Day to day, she is a consultant for KMPG, an organization that provides audit, tax and advisory services, but aside from this she assists with the Camdentown Tennis Club and additionally is one of the main players in what we call The Mixtape Strategy, which is the nonprofit side of Houston White Enterprises. 

Sophia Stewart — Sophia is a content polymath. From photo content, to video creation, to knowing the right things and places to post — she is our go-to person for all things content creation. She assists with any and all brainstorming around our marketing plans and always has new and refreshing ideas. 

The Harlem Renaissance and the figures that paved the way for life as we know it today are a big inspiration in our mission here at The Get Down and the energy we want to share with the community around us. We can only hope and strive to make an impact on our world like folks did during the Harlem Rennaissance.