"[F]or generations in the mind of America, the Negro has been more of a formula than a human being--a something to be argued about, condemned or defended, to be 'kept down, ' or 'in his place, ' or 'helped up, ' to be worried with or worried over, harassed or patronized, a social bogey or a social burden." Identifying the representation of black Americans in the national imaginary as oppressive in nature, Locke suggests a way forward through his theory of the New Negro, who "wishes to be known for what he is, even in his faults and shortcomings, and scorns a craven and precarious survival at the price of seeming to be what he is not." Throughout The New Negro, leading artists and intellectuals of the Harlem Renaissance offer their unique visions of who and what they are; voicing their concerns, portraying injustice, and illuminating the black experience, they provide a holistic vision of self-expression in all of its colors and forms.
This edition of Alain Locke's The New Negro is a classic of African American literature reimagined for modern readers.
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