Langston Hughes: was an American poet, social activist, novelist, playwright, and columnist.He was one of the earliest innovators of the then-new literary art form called Jazz Poetry (poetry used the free styled rhythm of Jazz), Hughes is best known as a leader of the Harlem Renaissance. He famously wrote about the period that "the negro was in vogue", which was later paraphrased as "when Harlem was in vogue"
Zora Neale Hurston: She was a writer of fiction, and a cultural anthropologist, she used her education and creativity to participate in the Harlem Renaissance
William Edward Burghardt "W. E. B." Du Bois: W.E.B DuBois was critical in the establishment of "life theories" with regard to formerly enslaved African Americans. DuBois posited that 10% of African Americans should be highly educated and elite. These persons called "The Talented Tenth" would then educate the remaining 90% in the ways of proper, American conduct. His views helped in the establishment of Black colleges and universities, agricultural training and social clubs across the country (NAACP) and world wide (Pan African Congress)
Alain LeRoy Locke: He was one of the most, if not the most influential writer of the Harlem Renaissance. Much of Locke's writing focused on African and African-American identity. His collection of writing and illustrations, The New Negro, was published in 1925, which exemplified his idea of the New Negro, which was a new evolved race of blacks that were more adept to take on the world, and show their true selves to the predominate white society of the time.