How Did Alain Locke Contribute To The Harlem Renaissance

In 1917 a new movement for African Americans began to form, it was known as the New Negro Movement and consisted of the most significant African American artists, musicians, and actors. It was in part a cultural movement and a freedom movement, showcasing the greatest minds of the time. For the first time, American Blacks felt it was their time to start a political effort to influence their culture. This movement lasted 10 years between the 1920s and 1930s. And was based in Harlem, New York. African American artists used this time to escape southern democratic oppression, while black leadership was forming and shaped into an ideology of Alain Locke. He was a prominent philosopher that influenced Black people during the Harlem Renaissance. The most significant African Americans that I believe stood out during the Harlem Renaissance are Duke Ellington, Alain Locke, and Jesse Owens.

Edward Kennedy “Duke” Ellington was most famous for his musical contribution to the Harlem Renaissance. His profound love for his jazz music added to the sounds of the “New Negro Movement”. Duke played almost exclusively at the Harlem Cotton club. He was a jazz legend for over fifty years, He

Alain was well educated from Harvard University. Locke became the very first Rhodes Scholar for an African American man. He was the voice of the renaissance movement and proved that an African American can become educated and make a difference in his culture. Locke taught classes on race relations and wrote about the “New Negro”. He edited many books about Black culture but his most noted were the “New Negro Movement” His ideas brought new hope to African Americans and his work inspired people all over the world. A little-known fact about Locke was that he was gay and never felt to be public about his private life. He wanted to bring awareness and truth to his culture but never felt free to truly be