How Did Locke Contribute To The Harlem Renaissance

Throughout the history of the United States, there have been several unique periods that have encouraged free-expression and experimentation. The Harlem Renaissance was one of the most influential periods in American history that contributed immensely to the rise of the “New Negro”, the renowned phrase coined by Howard University philosophy professor Alain Locke in his 1925 book “The New Negro”. In his book, Locke captured a significant central theme of the Harlem period: “We are witnessing the resurgence of a people. Negro life is not only establishing new contacts and founding new centers, it is finding a new soul. There is a fresh spiritual and cultural focusing. We have, as the heralding sign, an unusual outburst of creative expression.

In the realm of music, African Americans celebrated blues music. The blues music that spread during the 1920s “expressed the longings and philosophical perspectives of the black working class” (). In addition to blues music, jazz became a dominant musical form which established Harlem as an exciting cultural center, resulting in abundant dance halls created where famous musicians such as the trumpeter Louis Armstrong, pianist Duke Ellington, and pianist Fats Waller could perform their unique solos and share their musical talents in an environment that embraced the freedom of self-expression. These developments that occurred in this period called the Jazz Age indeed empowered African Americans to use their musical talents in an effort to strengthen their traditions, culture, and racial status in an anti-black prejudiced society: “"Wild Dreams of Bringing Glory and Honor to the Negro Race," addresses the composer's difficulties in overcoming negative stereotypes, myths, and perceptions that were most often based in racial prejudice” (). Similarly, African Americans contributed to the field of drama, forming all black theatre groups and creating productions that often focused on portraying the folk experience (the experience of blacks in the South) and protesting racial oppression and black stereotypes. The visual arts was another arena in which African Americans strove to preserve and exhibit their culture and traditions, and contribute to their growth as a race. Renowned painters such as Aaron Douglas, Palmer Hayden, Archibald Motley, and Jacob Lawrence used unique artistic styles, such as “bold shapes and vivid colors” (), to produce works that exemplified racial dignity, depicted the everyday social life of the urban black working-class, interpreted black folklore, and portrayed