What is the theme in The Big Sea: An Autobiography by Langston Hughes?

One major theme in the novel is the Black Renaissance, which took place during the 1920s. During the Black Renaissance, black musicians, performers, writers, and social venues attracted a new host of admirers. Hughes correctly predicted the Renaissance to be a fad, which based upon the length of its popularity was proven correct. Unlike Hughes, I have to wonder what would have happened had the Great Depression not come to America.