Breaking Barriers

He became one of the first black writers to be published by the mainstream media. National appreciation for writing by black people was not common in America due to prejudices. Having his work published was a big accomplishment as many people read and appreciated it. His poem "Harlem Shadows" was published in 1922 by The Liberator and he gained visibility despite being a black immigrant. ​​​​​​​This broke barriers because black people were constantly being told that they were not at the same intellectual level as white people. Claude McKay proved them wrong after creating relevant and inspiring poetry that was widely published and appreciated. 

McKay used classic language and typically white writing styles to write his many poems and inspire black youth. He combined different writing styles and proved to younger generations of black people that they can write just as well as white people. ​​​​By creating art to unite African Americans, McKay proved to racists that he was able to use the same writing styles as everyone else and convey lasting messages of perseverance.