Fisher, Rudolph (1897-1934), an African American author, was a major figure in the Harlem Renaissance. This important movement in African American literature and other arts flourished during the 1920’s and 1930’s in the Harlem district of New York City. In addition to his writing, Fisher also had a successful career as a doctor and medical researcher.
Fisher wrote about the contrasts between the rural South and the urban North in the African American community. He also dealt with racism in society as a whole as well as with prejudice within Black society. This prejudice occurred especially between working-class African Americans and middle- and upper-class African Americans.
Fisher wrote several short stories and two novels. He first gained recognition with his short story “The City of Refuge” (1925), about life in Harlem. Fisher’s first novel, The Walls of Jericho (1928), describes class conflicts among African Americans in Harlem. His other novel, The Conjure-Man Dies: A Mystery Tale of Dark Harlem (1932), is one of the first Black detective stories. Fisher’s short stories were collected in The City of Refuge, published in 1991, after his death. A revised and expanded edition (2008) includes Fisher’s famous essay “The Caucasian Storms Harlem” (1927). In the essay, Fisher described the white audiences who visited Harlem to enjoy the jazz there.
Rudolph John Chauncey Fisher was born on May 9, 1897, in Washington, D.C. He earned a B.A. degree in 1919 and an M.A. degree from Brown University in 1920. He received a medical degree from Howard University Medical School in 1924. Fisher died on Dec. 26, 1934.
