Alain Leroy Locke: Influence of the Black People’s Poetry on the Civil Life Essay

Exclusively available on Available only on IvyPanda® Made by Human No AI

Alain Leroy Locke: The new Negro

Alan Locke is a philosopher and the first black person who received a doctorate in philosophy, best known for promoting the Harlem Renaissance. It is a movement of population shift of African Americans to northern industrial cities searching for better jobs, which helped foster cultural richness and was named the Harlem Renaissance. Locke’s main aim was to promote black people in civilian life and show the difference between “Old” and “New Negro”.

The author commonly draws on the theme of comparing the old and new life of Negro race. According to Locke, “The Old Negro was a product of stereotypes and judgments that were put on them, not ones that they created. They were forced to live in a shadow of themselves and others’ actions” (pp. 21-31). The migration caused a shift in history because it has changed how the Negro is viewed by the rest of the world. The new one is who no longer lacks self-respect, is whom courage to show the identity of black people for northern cities in music and another self-expression. The “New Negro” is a person who realizes that humanity is equal.

To sum up, Alan Locke’s influence on today’s world is significant. The author promoted black people’s lives throughout the whole world in writing. It is an example of how one person can impact the fate of the race. Promoting the Harlem Renaissance movement, Locke emphasizes the progressiveness and talent of black people. Philosopher helped black authors become heard and respected and to explore the beauty and pain of blacks in jazz music to erase white people’s stereotypes.

The Theme of the Black No More

Black No More story is mainly focused on the theme of racism. It shows the situation when the color of people’s skin changes attitudes towards them. Max Disher is a black man who suffered from the scientific transformation that caused Max to become a white man and change his name to Matthew Fisher. After these actions, the main character started building a new life of a successful man: became a leader of a white supremacy group, maried the white woman who rejected Disher before changing his skin color. Max Disher idealized the life of whites before becoming one. Matthew was disappointed about the new routine; his expectations of being a white man were destroyed.

Helen, Max’s wife, is disrespectful of black people, especially Max, at the beginning of the novel, but when Matthew reveals that their child has darker skin because of him, she accepted it. It shows people’s impermanence, how humanity can change its opinion through a period. In addition, at the end of the story, Matthew was more white than natural white people, and it also shows a changing tendency.

Nicolas Guillen’s Poetry

In Small Ode, the author shows two aspects of the boxer’s life. A Cuban boxer needed to perform for people who paid for the battle, and it highlights racism. On the other hand, Guillen shows the boy’s strength and stamina in boxing, which means respect for the young boxer. In My Last Name, Nicolas Guillen tried to find his African heritage. This poem shows the author’s attitude to the conditions in which he lived. Poet’s main aim was to promote the sovereignty of his homeland.

Reference

Locke, Alain, ed. The new Negro: Voices of the Harlem renaissance. Open Road Media, 2021.

More related papers Related Essay Examples
Cite This paper
You're welcome to use this sample in your assignment. Be sure to cite it correctly

Reference

IvyPanda. (2022, October 19). Alain Leroy Locke: Influence of the Black People’s Poetry on the Civil Life. https://ivypanda.com/essays/alain-leroy-locke-influence-of-the-black-peoples-poetry-on-the-civil-life/

Work Cited

"Alain Leroy Locke: Influence of the Black People’s Poetry on the Civil Life." IvyPanda, 19 Oct. 2022, ivypanda.com/essays/alain-leroy-locke-influence-of-the-black-peoples-poetry-on-the-civil-life/.

References

IvyPanda. (2022) 'Alain Leroy Locke: Influence of the Black People’s Poetry on the Civil Life'. 19 October.

References

IvyPanda. 2022. "Alain Leroy Locke: Influence of the Black People’s Poetry on the Civil Life." October 19, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/alain-leroy-locke-influence-of-the-black-peoples-poetry-on-the-civil-life/.

1. IvyPanda. "Alain Leroy Locke: Influence of the Black People’s Poetry on the Civil Life." October 19, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/alain-leroy-locke-influence-of-the-black-peoples-poetry-on-the-civil-life/.


Bibliography


IvyPanda. "Alain Leroy Locke: Influence of the Black People’s Poetry on the Civil Life." October 19, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/alain-leroy-locke-influence-of-the-black-peoples-poetry-on-the-civil-life/.

If, for any reason, you believe that this content should not be published on our website, please request its removal.
Updated:
This academic paper example has been carefully picked, checked and refined by our editorial team.
No AI was involved: only quilified experts contributed.
You are free to use it for the following purposes:
  • To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
  • As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
  • As a template for you assignment
Privacy Settings

IvyPanda uses cookies and similar technologies to enhance your experience, enabling functionalities such as:

  • Basic site functions
  • Ensuring secure, safe transactions
  • Secure account login
  • Remembering account, browser, and regional preferences
  • Remembering privacy and security settings
  • Analyzing site traffic and usage
  • Personalized search, content, and recommendations
  • Displaying relevant, targeted ads on and off IvyPanda

Please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy for detailed information.

Required Cookies & Technologies
Always active

Certain technologies we use are essential for critical functions such as security and site integrity, account authentication, security and privacy preferences, internal site usage and maintenance data, and ensuring the site operates correctly for browsing and transactions.

Site Customization

Cookies and similar technologies are used to enhance your experience by:

  • Remembering general and regional preferences
  • Personalizing content, search, recommendations, and offers

Some functions, such as personalized recommendations, account preferences, or localization, may not work correctly without these technologies. For more details, please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy.

Personalized Advertising

To enable personalized advertising (such as interest-based ads), we may share your data with our marketing and advertising partners using cookies and other technologies. These partners may have their own information collected about you. Turning off the personalized advertising setting won't stop you from seeing IvyPanda ads, but it may make the ads you see less relevant or more repetitive.

Personalized advertising may be considered a "sale" or "sharing" of the information under California and other state privacy laws, and you may have the right to opt out. Turning off personalized advertising allows you to exercise your right to opt out. Learn more in IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy.

1 / 1