American novelist who was active during the Harlem Renaissance. He is most famous for his 1929 work, The Blacker the Berry: A Novel of Negro Life, which dealt with the theme of discrimination.
He wrote his first novel at age ten. He later studied at both the University of Utah and the University of Southern California.
He wrote to reveal the reality of African American life, showing both the good and the bad.
He was raised by his mother and grandmother in Salt Lake City, Utah. His wife, Louise Thompson, divorced him after claiming that he was a closeted homosexual.
He challenged some African American members of the bourgeoisie, including W.E.B. DuBois, because he did not agree with their views.