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What role did The Messenger play in the Harlem Renaissance?
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Harlem Renaissance
Dust jacket designed by the Mexican illustrator and writer Miguel Covarrubias for Langston Hughes's The Weary Blues (1926), a book of experimental poetry.
During the Harlem Renaissance, The Messenger served as a vital socialist journal that contributed to the movement's intellectual and cultural landscape. It was eventually connected with the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, a prominent Black labor union.12
Like other influential publications of the era—such as The Crisis and Opportunity—The Messenger played a key role by providing a platform for creative and social expression. It featured poetry and fiction alongside articles addressing critical social issues, helping to foster the movement's close relationship with civil rights and reform organizations.12