On March 21, 1924, a Friday night at New York City's Elite Civic Club in Greenwich Village,

more than 100 people came together for one of the greatest gatherings of literary minds

ever assembled.

This wasn't just any party, this was the party of the Harlem Renaissance, a rare integrated

shindig that even made headlines.

On the guest list were scores of black writers, the new generation shaking things up and

snatching the reins from the older set.

But this legendary party stands out as much for who is remembered among the fine China

and fine people as who has been forgotten.

And that forgetting was in some ways no accident.

This was supposed to be a celebration in honor of a single writer, a woman named Jesse

Redmond Fawcett, and her debut novel titled There Is Confusion.

But as you're about to hear, things change that night, and one of the most important

figures of the Harlem Renaissance was just another bold faith name among many.

Now you may have never heard Miss Fawcett's name, but trust and believe she was a giant

of the time.

One of her closest friends and colleagues was W.E.B.

DeBoys, the great thinker and co-founder of the NAACP.

As the literary editor of the popular NAACP magazine, The Crisis, Jesse Fawcett helped

lift the careers of some of the most well-known black writers, poets, and essayists of the

early 20th century.

In fact, for some of you, she may have been your favorite writer's favorite editor.

...