Jean Toomer

Jean Toomer overcame to obstacle in his life of being biracial. His grandfather was a free African American well known in Louisiana during the 1890’s. The grandfather later acted as the Governor of Louisiana during the reconstruction. Toomer; therefore, was born into an upper class black family and had a white Caucasian father. Toomer, as a young child, suffered many illnesses, which propelled him to be more successful. He had a well cultured background because he moved around from all black schools to all white schools and communities. These experiences are reflected in his works. Toomer had a great appreciation for major American poets like William Blake and Sherwood Anderson. This admiration further inspired his works. He wrote major public statements about racism in the United States for The New York Call, which gave him more popularity. Toomer’s writing of Cane inspired the Harlem Renaissance and brought a new generation of African American writers.

http://www.math.buffalo.edu/~sww/toomer/toomerbio.html