The Harlem Renaissance: Crash Course Theater #41

Summary

Crash Course Theater explores the Harlem Renaissance, a 1920s cultural movement in Harlem, New York, that revitalized African-American art, music, and literature. It countered racial stereotypes and celebrated Black identity, with artists like Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston. The movement saw the rise of Black theater companies and plays, influencing Broadway and advocating for Black artists' visibility and societal equality.

Takeaways

• 🎭 The Harlem Renaissance was a cultural movement in the 1920s that revitalized art, music, and literature in the Harlem neighborhood of Manhattan, New York.
• 🌟 It was a response to decades of racial stereotypes and served as a platform for African-American artists to express their experiences and challenge societal norms.
• 📚 The movement was initially termed the 'New Negro Movement' by Alain Locke and was characterized by a surge in African-American artistic expression.
• 👥 It was particularly significant for those who had migrated from the South during the Great Migration and for those from the Caribbean diaspora.
• 🎵 The artists of the Harlem Renaissance explored themes of alienation, discrimination, and the complexities of Black identity in a predominantly white society.
• 🖌️ The period saw a mix of artistic styles, from traditional African and African-American folk forms to modernist and jazz-influenced works.
• 🏛️ Despite segregation in theaters, the 1920s witnessed the rise of Black theater companies and the first all-Black Broadway productions.
• 🎭 The Krigwa Players, founded by W. E. B. Du Bois, were influential for insisting on works that were written, performed, and directed by Black artists.
• 📜 Du Bois outlined the principles for an African-American theater that should be about, by, for, and near the Black community.
• 🌐 The Harlem Renaissance had a significant impact on Broadway, with shows like 'Shuffle Along' and plays by African-American authors gaining recognition.
• 👩‍🎨 Key figures of the movement, such as Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston, made substantial contributions to literature, theater, and the broader cultural discourse on race and identity.

Q & A

What was the Harlem Renaissance?

The Harlem Renaissance was a cultural, artistic, and social movement that spanned the 1920s, centered in Harlem, Manhattan. It encouraged a dynamic reawakening and reimagining of art, music, and literature, particularly by African-American artists, as a corrective to decades of stereotypes and discrimination.

How did the Harlem Renaissance challenge stereotypes and increase visibility for Black Americans?

The Harlem Renaissance invited African-American artists to practice forms of art that would shatter stereotypes, increase visibility, and uplift Black Americans. It allowed for the exploration of difficult themes such as alienation, discrimination, and the discomfort of performing Black identity in a white world.

What is 'double-consciousness' as described by W. E. B. Du Bois?

Double-consciousness is a term coined by W. E. B. Du Bois to describe the feeling of being Black and American at the same time, seeing oneself as simultaneously part of, and not part of society. It reflects the complex experience of African Americans navigating their identity in a predominantly white society.

What was the significance of the play 'In Dahomey' in the context of the Harlem Renaissance?

'In Dahomey' was a Broadway musical comedy written by and starring African-Americans in 1903. It was significant as it was one of the early works by Black composers that made it to Broadway, although it relied heavily on stereotypes. It represented a step towards the recognition of Black artists in the mainstream theater.

Who were some of the early Black theater companies during the Harlem Renaissance?

Early Black theater companies during the Harlem Renaissance included Anita Bush’s Bush Players (later called the Lafayette Players), the Ida Anderson Players, the Acme Players (which later became the National Ethiopian Art Theater), and the Negro Players.

What was the Krigwa Players and what was its significance?

The Krigwa Players, founded by W. E. B. Du Bois and Regina Anderson in 1925, was an influential African-American theater troupe. It was significant for its insistence that works be performed, written, AND directed by Black artists, which was a key principle of the Harlem Renaissance.

What were the four criteria for an African-American theater as outlined by Du Bois in 'The Crisis'?

Du Bois outlined four criteria for an African-American theater in 'The Crisis': 1) About us, meaning plots should reveal Negro life as it is; 2) By us, meaning written by Negro authors who understand what it means to be a Negro; 3) For us, meaning the theater should cater primarily to Negro audiences; 4) Near us, meaning the theater should be in a Negro neighborhood.

Why was the play 'Shuffle Along' significant in the history of African-American theater?

'Shuffle Along' was significant because it was a wildly successful jazz musical that introduced African-American music and dance to a broader audience. It featured notable figures like Josephine Baker and Paul Robeson and sparked a minor craze for African-American shows on Broadway.

Who were Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston, and what were their contributions to the Harlem Renaissance?

Langston Hughes was a poet who had a Broadway hit with 'Mulatto' and established several theater companies. Zora Neale Hurston was a folklorist and novelist who won the 'Opportunity' playwriting contest. Both were key figures in the Harlem Renaissance, contributing significantly to literature, theater, and the celebration of African-American culture.

What is the play 'Don’t You Want to Be Free?' by Langston Hughes about, and how does it reflect the themes of the Harlem Renaissance?

‘Don’t You Want to Be Free?’ is a play by Langston Hughes that uses theater to make clear political points about the Black experience in America, including slavery, the Great Migration, and the struggle for civil rights. It reflects the themes of the Harlem Renaissance by incorporating poetry, music, and dance, and by advocating for unity and collective action for greater equality.

Outlines

00:00

🎭 Introduction to the Harlem Renaissance

The video script introduces the Harlem Renaissance, a vibrant cultural movement of the 1920s centered in Harlem, Manhattan. It highlights the movement's significance as a corrective to previous negative portrayals of African Americans in art and entertainment. The script discusses the movement's origins with the 'New Negro Movement' and its focus on art that would challenge stereotypes and uplift Black Americans. It also touches on the exploration of themes like alienation and discrimination, as well as the influence of African and African-American folk forms on the art of the period. The Harlem Renaissance marked a time when Black artists began to gain recognition both within and outside their communities, despite the continued presence of segregation and blackface in American theaters.

05:02

🎩 The Rise of Black Theater and Playwrights

This section delves into the emergence of Black theater companies and the evolution of African-American theater during the Harlem Renaissance. It discusses the early African-American theater companies such as Anita Bush's Bush Players, later known as the Lafayette Players, and the impact of Ridgely Torrence's 'Three Plays for a Negro Theatre'. The script also covers the founding of Krigwa by W. E. B. Du Bois, which sponsored a playwriting contest and encouraged realistic portrayals of Black life. The influence of the Krigwa Players, who insisted on works being performed, written, and directed by Black artists, is emphasized. The section also highlights the success of 'Shuffle Along' and the Broadway debuts of plays by African-American authors like Willis Richardson and Garland Anderson. Key figures of the Harlem Renaissance, Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston, are introduced, along with their contributions to theater and literature.

10:05

📜 The Impact and Legacy of the Harlem Renaissance

The final paragraph discusses the broader impact of the Harlem Renaissance on theater and society. It focuses on Langston Hughes's play 'Don't You Want to Be Free?' as an example of how theater was used to convey political messages and celebrate African-American history and culture. The play's narrative, which includes the history of slavery, the Great Migration, and the Civil Rights movement, is summarized. The script also touches on the collaborative efforts of Hughes and Hurston on 'Mule Bone' and the eventual souring of their relationship. The paragraph concludes with a look forward to the Federal Theater Project and the influence of Stanislavski's realistic acting on American theater, setting the stage for the next episode in the series.

Keywords

💡Harlem Renaissance

The Harlem Renaissance was a cultural, social, and artistic movement that took place in the 1920s, primarily in Harlem, New York City. It was a period of significant creative output by African-American artists, writers, and musicians, and it marked a time when Black culture was celebrated and began to gain recognition in mainstream America. The movement was characterized by a reawakening and reimagining of art, music, and literature, aiming to shatter stereotypes and uplift Black Americans. In the script, the Harlem Renaissance is described as a corrective to previous decades of minstrelsy and blackface, and it is highlighted for encouraging African-American artists to create works that increased visibility and challenged societal norms.

💡Great Migration

The Great Migration refers to the mass movement of African Americans from the rural South to the urban North in the United States, which occurred between 1916 and 1970. This movement was a significant factor in the Harlem Renaissance, as it brought many African Americans to Harlem, contributing to its vibrant cultural scene. The script mentions the Great Migration as a backdrop to the Harlem Renaissance, indicating that the movement was 'by and for people who had arrived from the South during the Great Migration, and others who had arrived in The United States via the Caribbean diaspora.'

💡Double-consciousness

Double-consciousness is a term coined by W. E. B. Du Bois to describe the unique psychological state of African Americans, who must navigate being both Black and American. It involves seeing oneself as both part of and separate from society, which was a common theme explored in the works of the Harlem Renaissance. The script references this concept when discussing the exploration of alienation, discrimination, and the discomfort of performing Black identity in a white world within the artistic works of the period.

💡African-American theater

African-American theater refers to theatrical productions created by and for African Americans, often reflecting their experiences and culture. During the Harlem Renaissance, there was a significant rise in Black theater companies, which provided a platform for African-American playwrights and performers. The script discusses the emergence of African-American theater companies such as the Bush Players, the Lafayette Players, and the Krigwa Players, which were instrumental in showcasing Black talent and narratives on stage.

💡Segregation

Segregation in the context of the script refers to the racial separation of African Americans from white Americans in various aspects of society, including theaters. The script mentions that in the 1920s, theaters in New York were largely segregated, with Blacks and whites sitting in different sections. This segregation was a social reality that the Harlem Renaissance and its artists sought to challenge and change through their art.

💡Blackface

Blackface is a form of theatrical makeup used predominantly by non-black performers to represent a caricature of a Black person. It has historical roots in the 19th-century minstrel shows and was a derogatory and racist practice. The script notes the unfortunate persistence of blackface in theater during the early 20th century, indicating the deep-seated racial prejudices that the Harlem Renaissance aimed to counteract through its artistic expressions.

💡Krigwa

Krigwa, short for the Crisis Guild of Writers and Artists, was an organization founded by W. E. B. Du Bois during the Harlem Renaissance. It was dedicated to promoting African-American artists and writers and sponsored a playwriting contest that encouraged authentic portrayals of Black life. The script highlights Krigwa's role in fostering African-American theater and its influence on the artistic movement, particularly through the establishment of the Krigwa Players.

💡Zora Neale Hurston

Zora Neale Hurston was a prominent African-American writer, anthropologist, and folklorist during the Harlem Renaissance. She is known for her novels, short stories, and plays that celebrated African-American culture and folklore. The script mentions Hurston as an early winner of the 'Opportunity' playwriting contest and discusses her play 'Color Struck,' which addresses colorism within the Black community, showcasing her contribution to the artistic and cultural renaissance of the period.

💡Langston Hughes

Langston Hughes was a central figure in the Harlem Renaissance, known for his poetry, plays, and essays that explored the African-American experience. The script discusses Hughes's play 'Mulatto,' which was a Broadway hit, and his establishment of several theater companies, emphasizing his significant role in promoting African-American theater and literature. Hughes's work is a testament to the artistic and cultural vitality of the Harlem Renaissance.

💡Mule Bone

Mule Bone is a play that was collaboratively written by Zora Neale Hurston and Langston Hughes, based on a Florida folktale. It is a comedy that revolves around two men who have a dispute over a woman. The script mentions the play as an example of the collaboration between two major figures of the Harlem Renaissance, although their working relationship eventually soured, and the play was never finished, reflecting the complex dynamics within the movement.

💡Don’t You Want to Be Free?

‘Don’t You Want to Be Free?’ is a play written by Langston Hughes in 1937 for the Suitcase Theater. The script describes it as a modern, fragmentary, and politically charged work that uses theater to make clear political points about the African-American experience. The play is significant for its use of poetry, music, and dance to argue that African-American performance is integral to African-American history and the struggle for greater equality, encapsulating the spirit of the Harlem Renaissance.

Highlights

The Harlem Renaissance was a 1920s cultural movement centered in Harlem, Manhattan, that encouraged a reawakening and reimagining of art, music, and literature.

The movement was a corrective to decades of melodramas, minstrelsy, and blackface, and unlike the other Renaissance, it was free from plague.

Harlem was described as a 'Black city' in the heart of white Manhattan, with a high concentration of African-Americans.

The Harlem Renaissance was characterized as the 'New Negro Movement' by Alain Locke, inviting artists to shatter stereotypes and uplift Black Americans.

Artists explored themes of alienation, discrimination, and the discomfort of performing Black identity in a white world.

W. E. B. Du Bois described the phenomenon of 'double-consciousness', feeling both part of and apart from society as a Black American.

Artists looked to both African and African-American folk forms and newer forms like modernism and jazz-echoing rhythms.

The 1920s saw the white world and much of the Black world begin to celebrate Black artists, who had previously been unrecognized outside their communities.

In 1903, 'In Dahomey' was a Broadway musical comedy written by and starring African-Americans, relying on stereotypes.

Ridgely Torrence's 'Three Plays for a Negro Theatre' created a sensation with realistic portrayals of Black life, initially performed by white actors.

The Neighborhood Playhouse hosted 'Rachel', a play by Black playwright Angelina Grimke, with an all-Black cast, exploring the impact of racism.

The early 20th century saw a rise in Black theater companies, such as Anita Bush’s Bush Players, later called the Lafayette Players.

Du Bois founded Krigwa, which sponsored a playwriting contest and encouraged truthful and sincere portrayals of Black life.

The Krigwa Players, founded by Du Bois and Regina Anderson, insisted on works performed, written, and directed by Black artists.

Du Bois outlined the principles of African-American theater in 'The Crisis', emphasizing works about, by, for, and near Black people.

African-American works like 'Shuffle Along' made it to Broadway, setting off a craze for Black shows.

Willis Richardson's 'The Chip Woman’s Fortune' was produced on Broadway, earning good reviews.

Garland Anderson’s 'Appearances' was the first full-length straight play by an African-American author to open on Broadway.

Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston were key figures of the Harlem Renaissance, contributing significantly to theater and literature.

Hughes and Hurston collaborated on the play 'Mule Bone', which was never finished due to a soured working relationship.

Langston Hughes' play 'Don’t You Want to Be Free?' used theater to make political points and celebrate African-American performance.

Transcripts

Hey there, I’m Mike Rugnetta, this is Crash Course Theater,

and today we’re exploring the Harlem Renaissance!

This 1920s movement, centered in an uptown Manhattan neighborhood,

encouraged a dynamic reawakening and reimagining of art, music and literature.

It was a very necessary  corrective to all of those decades 

of melodramas, minstrelsy, and blackface.

And, unlike the other Renaissance,  there was no bubonic plague!

We’ll take a look at the Harlem  Renaissance more broadly and then  

explore the playwrights and  theater companies it birthed.

Lights up!

[INTRO MUSIC]

The Harlem Renaissance roughly spanned the 1920s,  

spreading out from Harlem and  across America’s Northeast.

Writer James Weldon Johnson wrote  about the Harlem of that era:

“Not merely a colony or a  community or a settlement…

but a Black city, located in  the heart of white Manhattan, 

and containing more Negroes to the  square mile than any other spot on Earth.

It strikes the uninformed observer  as a phenomenon, a miracle.”

First characterized by the writer Alain  Locke as the “New Negro Movement,”

the Harlem Renaissance was by and for people who  

had arrived from the South  during the Great Migration

and others who had arrived in The United  States via the Caribbean diaspora.

This movement invited African-American  artists to practice forms of art

that would shatter stereotypes, increase  visibility, and uplift Black Americans.

Much of the work was celebratory, but artists didn’t shy away from difficult themes.

Alienation, discrimination, and  the discomfort of performing 

Black identity in a white world were all explored.

This is an example of the phenomenon  that theorist and activist W. E. B.  

Du Bois described as “double-consciousness”

—the feeling of being Black,  and American, at the same time;

of seeing yourself as simultaneously part of, and not part of society.

In terms of form and genre,  some artists of the period  

looked back to distinctly African  and African-American folk forms,

like fables and spirituals, while others looked to newer forms,

like the fractured modernism  of Jean Toomer’s “Cane”

or the jazz-echoing rhythms of poems by Langston Hughes and Geraldine Brooks.

The Harlem Renaissance was pretty  much the moment when the white world

(and also a lot of the Black world) began to celebrate Black artists.

This doesn’t mean that Black  artists were new to America 

—far from it—

but many of them hadn’t been known or  honored outside of their communities.

In the 1920s, theaters in New York  were still largely segregated.

Blacks and whites typically  sat in different sections, 

and I’m sad to report that  blackface was still a thing.

In 1903, there had been a Broadway  musical comedy, “In Dahomey,”

written by and starring African-Americans,

as well as several other Broadway-adjacent  musicals by Black composers—

though like “In Dahomey,” these  relied pretty heavily on stereotype.

In terms of serious, non-musical plays,

the white playwright Ridgely Torrence created a  sensation with “Three Plays for a Negro Theatre,”

crafting realistic portrayals of Black life.

These plays were originally  performed by white actors, 

but in 1917, an all-Black cast,

directed by Robert Edmond Jones,  led the Broadway production.

This was a Broadway first.

“Three Negro Plays Played by Negros,” was the headline in the New York Times.

The critic said that the “interesting and  sympathetic plays” were “inadequately acted.”

In that same year, one of  Manhattan’s little theaters, 

the Neighborhood Playhouse,

hosted “Rachel,” a play  written by a Black playwright, 

Angelina Grimke, and staged  with an all-Black cast.

“Rachel” is the story of a young African-American  

woman so shaken by the racism  she discovers all around her

that she vows never to have children.

The early 20th century saw an enormous upsurge in Black theater companies.

The first important African-American theater  company of this era was Anita Bush’s Bush Players,

later called the Lafayette  Players, founded in 1916.

Most of the Bush Players’ plays  were written by white playwrights,

but they were performed  for mostly Black audiences.

Other early companies included  the Ida Anderson Players,

the Acme Players, which later became  the National Ethiopian Art Theater,

and the Negro Players, the company that had first  performed “Three Plays for a Negro Theater.”

In the midst of the Harlem Renaissance, Du Bois, 

then-editor of the NAACP’s  monthly magazine “The Crisis,”

founded Krigwa, which is almost an acronym  for the Crisis Guild of Writers and Artists.

Krigwa sponsored a playwriting contest and encouraged entrants to

“Write about things as you know them…

You do not have to confine your writings to the  portrayal of beggars, scoundrels, and prostitutes;

you can write about ordinary  decent colored people if you want.

On the other hand, do not fear the Truth. Plumb the depths.

If you want to paint Crime and  Destitution and Evil paint it…

But be true, be sincere, be  thorough, and do a beautiful job.”

“Opportunity,” an  African-American literary journal, 

also sponsored a playwriting contest,

awarding prizes to Zora Neale  Hurston and Eulalie Spence.

In 1925 Du Bois and Regina Anderson  founded the Krigwa Players,

based out of the basement of a  public library on 135th Street.

While it only lasted for three seasons  before splitting into a number of offshoots,

it was probably the most influential  African-American theater troupe,

owing to its insistence that works be performed,  written, AND directed by Black artists.

In 1926, Du Bois published an  influential manifesto in “The Crisis”

establishing what an  African-American theater should be:

“1. About us. That is, they must have  plots which reveal Negro life as it is.

2. By us. That is, they must  be written by Negro authors 

who understand from birth  and continued association  

just what it means to be a Negro today.

3. For us. That is, the theatre must  cater primarily to Negro audiences  

and be supported and sustained by  their entertainment and approval.

4. Near us. The theatre must be in a Negro  

neighborhood near the mass  of ordinary Negro people.”

While a lot of the innovation was  happening in the little theaters,

African-American works were  making it to Broadway, too.

In 1921, the team of Noble Sissle and Eubie  

Blake introduced “Shuffle Along,”

a wildly successful jazz musical that featured  Josephine Baker and Paul Robeson in small roles.

Langston Hughes called it “a honey of a show…

swift, bright, funny, rollicking, and gay, with a dozen danceable, singable tunes…

Everybody was in the audience— including me.”

“Shuffle Along” set off a minor  craze for African-American shows,

and nine more made it to  Broadway in the next three years.

In 1923, Willis Richardson, who had won the  Krigwa playwriting contest several times,

had a one-act slice-of-life  play, “The Chip Woman’s Fortune,”

which was produced on Broadway  and earned pretty good reviews.

In 1925, Garland Anderson’s “Appearances,” 

a melodrama about a black  bellhop falsely accused of rape,

became the first full-length straight play by  an African-American author to open on Broadway.

But MOST Broadway plays about Black life  were still the work of white playwrights—

who sometimes even won Pulitzer Prizes for them.

Let’s look at two key figures  of the Harlem Renaissance:

Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston.

Hurston, a folklorist and a novelist, 

was an early winner of the  “Opportunity” playwriting contest.

“Color Struck,” an “Opportunity” winner, 

is about colorism among a  group of Black Floridians.

The play makes use of Southern Black speech, 

which Hurston, a trained  anthropologist, carefully studied.

Hurston later channeled an interest in African and  African-American folktales into several revues:

“The Great Day,” “From Sun  to Sun,” and “Singing Steel.”

Better known as a poet, Hughes had a  Broadway hit in 1935 with “Mulatto,”

a poetic play about a mixed-race  child and his desire to 

be acknowledged as his father’s heir.

Hughes subtitled the play a tragedy,

but when it was produced on Broadway, 

changes were made that brought  it closer to melodrama,

making it more palatable to a white audience.

Hughes was not thrilled.

He once told James Baldwin,

“If you want to die, be maladjusted,  

neurotic and psychotic, disappointed and  disjointed…just write plays, Go ahead.”

Still, he established three theater companies: the Suitcase Theater in Harlem,

the Negro Art Theater in Los Angeles, and the Skyloft Players in Chicago

—and continued to write plays  and lyrics throughout his life,

including “Little Ham,” a folk comedy  celebrating Harlem in the ‘20s.

Together, Hurston and Hughes collaborated  on the 1930 play “Mule Bone.”

Based on a Florida folktale, 

it’s a comedy about two men  who come to blows over a woman.

But Hurston and Hughes’s  working relationship soured, 

and the play was never finished.

For a closer look at the theater  of the Harlem Renaissance,  

let’s explore “Don’t You Want to Be Free?,”

a play Hughes wrote in 1937  for the Suitcase Theater.

When the play begins, the stage is bare except  for a lynching rope and an auction block.

A young man steps out and explains the set:

“We haven’t got any scenery, or painted curtains,  because we haven’t got any money to buy them.

But we’ve got something you  can’t buy with money, anyway.

We’ve got faith in ourselves. And in you.

So we’re going to put on a show.”

The show, he says, is about what  it means to be Black in America.

Help us out, Thought Bubble:

Cymbals crash and tom-toms thump as a  young woman begins to dance an African  

dance while reciting some of Hughes’s poetry.

She is joined by a young man  who describes the capture of  

slaves and their arrival at Jamestown in 1619.

Several characters are sold as  slaves, but one young man resists.

While he’s being whipped, other characters begin to sing his protest song,

“Go Down, Moses.” The Civil War arrives.

Then sharecropping and Jim Crow. Then the Great Migration.

The Harlem Renaissance. The Great Depression.

The first stirrings of the Civil Rights movement.

In every scene, characters chant poems  and the chorus sings hymns and spirituals.

Toward the end of the pageant,  the residents of Harlem begin to  

resist the landlords and small business  owners who discriminate against them.

This move culminates in the 1935 Harlem Riots.

The play then directly asks  the audience to organize, 

join unions and tenants leagues,

and get together with members  of the white working class.

As one character says, “When…Black and white really get together,

what power in the world can stop  us from getting what we want?”

The show ends with the entire cast linking  hands with the audience and singing:

“Oh, who wants to come and join hands with me? Who wants to make one great unity?

Who wants to say, no more black or white? Then let’s get together, folks,

And fight, fight, fight!”

Fight, fight, fight! Wow.

Thanks, Thought Bubble.

This pageant is modern, fragmentary, 

almost Brechtian—we’re gonna  get to that adjective soon.

It uses theater to make  some clear political points. 

But in its reliance on poetry, music, and dance,

“Don’t You Want to Be Free?” also  argues that African-American performance

is inextricable from African-American history, 

and that it will accompany people of  color as they push for greater equality.

Thanks for watching.

We’ll see you next time, when we move from little  theaters to a really, really, really big one:

the WPA’s Federal Theater Project.

And hang onto your seagulls, everybody,

because Stanislavski and realistic  acting are coming to America, 

courtesy of the Group Theater.

Group hug, Yorick? No?

Well Group Curtain, then.

Crash Course Theater is produced in  association with PBS Digital Studios.

Crash Course Theater is filmed  in Indianapolis, Indiana,

and is produced with the help of  all of these very nice people.

Our animation team is Thought Cafe.

Crash Course exists thanks to the generous  support of our patrons on Patreon.

Patreon is a voluntary subscription service where  

you can support the content you  love through a monthly donation

and help keep Crash Course  free, for everyone, forever.

Thanks for watching.