Nella Larsen

She was one of the most promising writers to come out of the 1920s Harlem Renaissance, but died alone in obscurity. Her writings today are being revisited as they delve into the idea of race and sexuality in the black community.

Nella Larsen was born on April 13, 1891 in Chicagoto Mary Hanson, of Denmark, and Peter Walker, of the Danish West Indies. The family lived in a predominantly white, working-class neighborhood.