Here's why:
* "Home to Harlem" (1928): This novel, while not explicitly calling for violence, portrays the struggles and disillusionment of Black veterans returning to a segregated America, fueling the call for racial equality.
* "If We Must Die" (1919): This powerful poem, written during the Red Summer of 1919, explicitly calls for Black people to fight back against white violence with dignity and strength. It became a rallying cry for the movement.
* "The Lynching" (1919): This poem, also written during the Red Summer, uses vivid imagery to denounce the brutal lynching of Black Americans. It serves as a powerful indictment of white racism and a call for action.
While other Harlem Renaissance writers like Langston Hughes, W.E.B. Du Bois, and Zora Neale Hurston addressed racial injustice, McKay's work stands out for its direct and militant call to action. His poems and novels reflect a sense of anger and frustration with the racial realities of his time, urging Black people to resist oppression and fight for their freedom.