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Difficulty: Very hardThe New Negro Movement and Cultural Debates

Read the excerpt below from George Schuyler's essay 'Negro-Art Hokum' (1926):

'The colored peoples of this republic have been subject to the same environment, have met the same problems, and have been influenced by the same historic forces as their white neighbors... As for the literature, painting, and music of the Negro in the United States, it is as much a part of the mainstream of American culture as the literature, painting, and music of the white American.'

In the context of the cultural debates of the New Negro Movement, Schuyler's argument in this passage most directly challenges which of the following perspectives?

  1. A
    The political philosophy advocating for the physical repatriation of African Americans to Africa under a unified nationalist organization.
  2. The view that Black artists should draw upon a distinct racial temperament and folk tradition to establish a unique aesthetic separate from white American standards.Answer
  3. C
    The assertion that African American folk culture was derived from a single, homogeneous West African kingdom with no regional variations.
  4. D
    The educational strategy prioritizing the cultivation of a 'Talented Tenth' to lead political and civil rights organizations.

Answer

The view that Black artists should draw upon a distinct racial temperament and folk tradition to establish a unique aesthetic separate from white American standards.
The correct answer is correct because George Schuyler's essay 'Negro-Art Hokum' argues that because African Americans have been subjected to the same environmental, social, and economic forces as white Americans, their artistic expressions are fundamentally American rather than uniquely Black. This stance directly challenged the dominant philosophy of the New Negro Movement, championed by writers like Alain Locke and Langston Hughes, which held that Black artists possessed a distinct racial consciousness and cultural heritage that should serve as the basis for a unique school of art.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the provided stimulus excerpt by George Schuyler.
Schuyler asserts that African Americans have been shaped by the same environment and historical forces as white Americans, meaning their cultural output is fundamentally American rather than uniquely 'Negro.'
Understanding the author's primary argument is necessary to determine what perspective he is challenging.
2
Relate Schuyler's argument to the key cultural debates of the New Negro Movement.
Schuyler's universalist stance directly opposed the views of figures like Alain Locke and Langston Hughes, who argued that Black artists should celebrate a distinct racial heritage and folk consciousness.
Contextualizing the source within the New Negro Movement debates allows for the identification of the target counter-perspective.
3
Evaluate the choices to identify the option that represents the perspective Schuyler opposes.
The option asserting that Black artists should draw on a distinct racial temperament to build a separate aesthetic is the direct counterpoint to Schuyler's claim that Negro art is 'hokum' and identical to white American art.
Matching Schuyler's critique to the correct alternative position ensures the selection of the correct answer.

Key Concept

The debate between universalism and distinctiveness in New Negro art and literature
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Topics

The New Negro Movement and Cultural Debates

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