Jessie Redmon Fauset

Jessie Redmon Fauset (1882–1961) was an American novelist, poet, and editor, often called the "midwife" of the Harlem Renaissance. Born in New Jersey, she graduated from Cornell University and earned a master's degree from the University of Pennsylvania. As literary editor of The Crisis from 1919 to 1926, she championed writers like Langston Hughes and Claude McKay. Fauset published four novels, including There Is Confusion (1924) and Plum Bun (1928), which examine the complexities of racial identity, passing, and women's aspirations in early 20th-century America. Her work is noted for its nuanced portrayal of middle-class Black life and its critique of both racism and sexism. Though sometimes overshadowed by her contemporaries, Fauset's literary legacy endures as a pioneering voice who expanded the scope of African American fiction.