Jessie Redmon Fauset was born on April 27, 1882, in New Jersey's Camden County. She grew up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. According to the unknown author for the “Jessie Redmon Fauset” Biography page for Poetry foundation.org states that “Her family was not well off, but they valued education” (poetryfoundation,org). Fauset attended the esteemed Philadelphia High School for Girls, where she was likely the sole African American in her class. She wanted to go on to Bryn Mawr College. However, the institution was unwilling to accept its first black student, choosing instead to help Fauset get a scholarship to attend Cornell University. Fauset academically excelled at Cornell and was selected to join Phi Beta Kappa. After graduating from Cornell in 1905, the fact that Fauset was African American kept her from being hired as a teacher in Philadelphia. Instead, she taught in Baltimore, Maryland. According to the unknown author for the “Jessie Redmon Fauset” Biography page for Coloumbia grangers.org.org states that In 1912, while still teaching, “Fauset began to submit reviews, essays, poems and short stories to The Crisis, a magazine founded and edited by W.E.B. Du Bois” (coloumbiagrangers.org). Du Bois was so impressed by Fauset he would convince her to become the publication's literary editor, a position that she would gladly take.
Fauset was active during the Harlem Renaissance, an awakening of artistic output within the African-American community. In her editorial role, she encouraged a number of writers, including Langston Hughes, Jean Toomer and Claude McKay. She also continued to write her own pieces for the magazine. In addition to her work at The Crisis, Fauset served as co-editor for The Brownies' Book, which was published monthly from 1920 to 1921. The publication's goal was to teach African-American children about their heritage, information Fauset had wished for during her own childhood.
Fauset had married a businessman, Herbert Harris, in 1929. The two lived together in New Jersey until Harris died in 1958. Fauset then returned to Philadelphia. She died in Philadelphia on April 30, 1961, at the age of 79. With tremendous support for up and coming writers, Fauset was responsible for the development of many new African-American voices. According to the unknown author for the “Jessie Redmon Fauset” Biography page for Poets.org states that “While her novels, essays, poems and other work meant that she was a prolific author in her own right “ (poets.org). Though not as well-known as many of her contemporaries, Fauset was an important part of the Harlem Renaissance Movement.
