ENGL 281 Lecture Notes - Lecture 29: Sutton E. Griggs, Alain Leroy Locke, New Negro
The Harlem Renaissance: The Birth of the New Negro
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Alain Locke, Enter the New Negro
One of the most important texts in the formation of the Negro identity as well as foundation for the
Harlem Renaissance
You see intellectual honesty in Locke that gives way to logic in a circular form:
2 types of myths
1. Knowledge… Myth – ontology – epistemology (what we think it means to be human: the study of
knowledge)- Rhizome (a foundation or root system where things are connected that you cannot see)
• critical thinking is thinking about thinking until you get to that rhizome in where you
understand the interconnections between things.
o Knowledge works this way, which is how intertextuality
Alain connected the Old Negro (Sutton Griggs and before) to the New Negro.
Connects us trans-historically to other moments [that is to say, connecting to the past, and
even the present moment; David Walker and Brother Ali connected together through this
intertextuality]
This is only done by understanding how the rhizome works through these connections.
o The rhizome has things we have not unearthed.
o Gender: what is Ida B Wells’ connection in this?
o Politically, where is Obama in this system, and then how can you connect Obama
back to Walker?
The Negro Problem David walker is offering up not a definition of a new negro, but a new
representation of a new negro in 1825
The New Negro has a new courage the old negro has. The ability to speak the truth to
power.
Alain Locke solidifies this New Negro in 1920s, and then there will also be a new Negro emerging in
the 21 century.
• Creation of an ideological myth: telling us where we come from: how do we get from Locke
to our current moment?
--How will we continue on this new Negro, carrying on this courage of the New Negro but with
a new spin?
• At the end of the Rhizome, you go back to Hermeneutics: the interpretation of knowledge.
o Hermeneutics only tells us what is, but Hegemony is the power to dictate which of
those hermeneutic readings are the ones that actually count.
o Taking this Hegemonic power, you take a subset of the truth and privilege that truth
to the point that it comes to be believed in the masses
Ideology: we do not have to think anymore and simply accept that one Hegemonic truth
as absolute; we do not challenge it and rather just accept it [complacency]
• In leaving out parts of the Hermeneutics, you leave out parts of the truth that the hegemonic
“truths” cannot answer, thus you get myth
• Use myth to fill in the spaces that this hegemonic covered.
o Everything is trying to get passed hegemonic power because it has an enormous
effect on the circle of knowledge and everything we use to makes decisions
• To understand the New Negro, we must understand is there is an Old Negro
o Old Negro was that of the second half; in the 1920s in the Harlem Renn, we are
observing a new energy and new generation emerging.
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
The harlem renaissance: the birth of the new negro. One of the most important texts in the formation of the negro identity as well as foundation for the. You see intellectual honesty in locke that gives way to logic in a circular form: Connects us trans-historically to other moments [that is to say, connecting to the past, and. Alain connected the old negro (sutton griggs and before) to the new negro. even the present moment; david walker and brother ali connected together through this intertextuality] The new negro has a new courage the old negro has. The negro problem david walker is offering up not a definition of a new negro, but a new representation of a new negro in 1825 power. Alain locke solidifies this new negro in 1920s, and then there will also be a new negro emerging in the 21 century.
