Examkin

Question

Difficulty: EasyThe New Negro Movement and Cultural Debates

Read the excerpt below from W.E.B. Du Bois's 1926 essay 'Criteria of Negro Art' and answer the question that follows:

'Thus all art is propaganda and ever must be, despite the wailing of the purists. I stand in utter shamelessness and say that whatever art I have for writing has been used always for propaganda for gaining the right of black folk to love and enjoy.'

Which of the following statements best describes Du Bois's main argument in this excerpt?

  1. A
    Black artists should abandon American society and emigrate to West Africa to establish a separate cultural state.
  2. B
    Art should focus solely on economic self-reliance and vocational skills rather than political rights.
  3. Artistic expression should serve as a tool for racial uplift and the advancement of social justice.Answer
  4. D
    Black art must be used exclusively to build a separate, self-sufficient global empire led by the Universal Negro Improvement Association.

Answer

Artistic expression should serve as a tool for racial uplift and the advancement of social justice.
The correct option is correct because Du Bois's statement that 'all art is propaganda' and that his work is used to gain rights directly supports the idea that artistic expression is a crucial tool for racial uplift and the advancement of social justice.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the provided text excerpt for the author's main claim.
The author explicitly states that 'all art is propaganda and ever must be' and that his art is used 'for gaining the right of black folk.'
Understanding the literal text is the first step in identifying the underlying argument.
2
Connect the author's claim to the broader cultural debates of the Harlem Renaissance.
The claim represents the perspective that art cannot be divorced from political struggle and must be leveraged to combat racial prejudice.
This contextualization helps identify the option that correctly describes the political and social purpose Du Bois assigns to art.

Key Concept

The debate over the political and social purpose of Black art during the Harlem Renaissance
Rate this question

Topics

The New Negro Movement and Cultural Debates

More questions from this topic