The Great Black Way: L.A. in the 1940s and the Last African American Renaissance

$18.00

Unlike Harlem's Renaissance driven by the intellectual elite, L.A.'s black identity evolved from street-level experiences. However, as the era faded, so did many aspirations and lives.

Drawing from original research and interviews, this book compellingly argues that contemporary phenomena like hip hop, slang, and street fashion trace their roots back to the dynamic 1940s scene along the Great Black Way.

Unlike Harlem's Renaissance driven by the intellectual elite, L.A.'s black identity evolved from street-level experiences. However, as the era faded, so did many aspirations and lives.

Drawing from original research and interviews, this book compellingly argues that contemporary phenomena like hip hop, slang, and street fashion trace their roots back to the dynamic 1940s scene along the Great Black Way.