Dorothy West
A sharp-eyed chronicler of Black middle-class life who bridged the Harlem Renaissance and the social changes of the late 20th century.
1907–1998 (age 91)·American novelist·Birthday: June 2·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Dorothy West moved from her native Boston to Harlem as a young woman, instantly becoming a wunderkind of the burgeoning Renaissance. At just seventeen, she tied for second place in a literary contest with a story later published in The Crisis. West lived at the vibrant center of the movement, counting Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston as close friends. In the 1930s, she founded the journal 'Challenge' to provide a platform for younger Black writers. Her writing often focused on the complexities and aspirations of the Black bourgeoisie, a perspective sometimes at odds with the political fervor of her peers. After decades of relative quiet, she experienced a remarkable late-career resurgence with the publication of her novel 'The Wedding' in 1995, which became a bestseller and was adapted for television. West's work offers a nuanced, enduring portrait of race, class, and community in America.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
Dorothy was born in 1907, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Dorothy Was Born
The biggest hits of 1907
Dorothy's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1907Born
Financial panic grips Wall Street
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1912Started school
Titanic sinks on its maiden voyage
President: William Howard Taft
1920Became a teenager
Women gain the right to vote in the US
Home: $3,395President: Woodrow Wilson"Swanee" — Al Jolson
1923Could drive
The Great Kanto earthquake devastates Tokyo
President: Calvin Coolidge"Yes! We Have No Bananas" — Billy Jones
1925Could vote
The Scopes Trial debates evolution in schools
Home: $4,366President: Calvin Coolidge"Sweet Georgia Brown" — Ben Bernie
1928Turned 21
Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin; Mickey Mouse debuts
President: Calvin Coolidge"Ol' Man River" — Paul WhitemanBest Picture: Wings
1937Turned 30
Hindenburg disaster; Golden Gate Bridge opens
Gas: $0.20/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"A-Tisket, A-Tasket" — Ella FitzgeraldBest Picture: The Life of Emile Zola
1947Turned 40
India gains independence; the Dead Sea Scrolls found
Gas: $0.23/galHome: $6,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Near You" — Francis CraigBest Picture: Gentleman's Agreement
1957Turned 50
Sputnik launches the Space Age
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $10,550Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"All Shook Up" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: The Bridge on the River Kwai
1967Turned 60
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1977Turned 70
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1987Turned 80
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1998Died at 91
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
Key Achievements
- Published her first story, 'The Typewriter,' in The Crisis magazine at age 18.
- Founded and edited the literary magazine 'Challenge' in 1934 to support new Black authors.
- Published the bestselling novel 'The Wedding' in 1995, which was later adapted into a television miniseries.
- Was the last surviving member of the central figures of the Harlem Renaissance.
Did You Know?
She moved to the Soviet Union in the 1930s with a group of Black intellectuals to make a film about American race relations.
For many years, she lived in a cottage on Martha's Vineyard, writing a regular column for the local newspaper.
Her novel 'The Living Is Easy' (1948) was one of the first to examine the life of an upper-class Black family in Boston.
First Lady Hillary Clinton was a champion of her late-career novel 'The Wedding.'
“I just write about people who happen to be black, as others write about people who happen to be white.”
