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This essay examines Fredi Washington's multifaceted role as an artist and activist during the New Negro Renaissance.

May 30, 2026Open Access

At Times Like These: Fredi Washington, the New Negro Renaissance, and American Democracy

LWLaurie WoodardCity College of New York

Key Points

This essay examines Fredi Washington's multifaceted role as an artist and activist during the New Negro Renaissance.
Analyzes Washington's writings for The People's Voice from 1942 to 1947.
Focuses on her advocacy against white supremacy and democratic failures.
Explores her contributions as a performer, writer, and activist.
Washington's work exemplifies resilience against systemic injustices.
Her writings reveal the struggles and aspirations of Black Americans during a critical period.
Highlights the intersection of art and activism in combating societal issues.

Abstract

Abstract This essay explores the work of artist and activist Fredi Washington during the New Negro Renaissance. It frames Washington as an unconventional “Triple Threat,” not as an artist who dances and sings and acts, but as a performing artist, a writer, and a civil and human rights activist. It focuses upon Washington’s most direct engagement with the failures of American democracy—her writings for the progressive Black newspaper The People’s Voice from 1942 to 1947. A fierce advocate for Black people in the United States and around the world, Washington offers a model of resiliency and resistance in the face of white supremacy, misogyny, and the contemporary collapse of democratic institutions across the globe.

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