Regina M. Andrews

Who was Regina M. Andrews?

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Regina M. Anderson was a multi-racial playwright and librarian. She was of Native American, Jewish, East Indian, Swedish, and other European ancestry; one of her eight grandparents was of African descent, born in Madagascar. Despite her own identification of her race as "American", she was perceived to be African American by others, and became a key member of the Harlem Renaissance.

Born in Chicago, she studied at Wilberforce University, and Columbia University. She moved to New York and became a librarian at the 135th Street branch of the New York Public Library, working under the supervision of Ernestine Rose. She shared an apartment in the Sugar Hill district of Harlem with Ethel Ray and Louella Tucker. The women opened the space to the community, hosting salons, events, and gatherings for artists. Located at 580 Saint Nicholas Avenue, the apartment became known as the "580" and the "Harlem West Side Literary Salon". Anderson helped to organize the Civic Club dinner of 1924 for black New York intellectuals and writers. 110 guests attended, including W. E. B. Du Bois, Jean Toomer, Countee Cullen, and Langston Hughes. The dinner was one of the coalescing events of the Harlem Renaissance.