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Difficulty: HardThe Harlem Renaissance and the New Negro Movement

Read the following excerpt from W.E.B. Du Bois’s 1926 address, "Criteria of Negro Art":

> "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. I do not care a damn for any art that is not used for propaganda."

Which of the following statements best characterizes Du Bois’s position in the context of the New Negro Movement's debates over artistic expression?

  1. A
    Artistic endeavors should serve as a tool for Marcus Garvey’s Universal Negro Improvement Association to promote emigration and separate economic nationalism.
  2. African American artistic production should be deliberately harnessed to challenge racial hierarchy and secure political and social equality.Answer
  3. C
    Black cultural expression must align with Booker T. Washington’s accommodationist strategy by avoiding political themes to secure economic support from white patrons.
  4. D
    Literary and visual arts must restrict their focus to exposing Southern legal segregation rather than addressing northern systemic inequalities.

Answer

African American artistic production should be deliberately harnessed to challenge racial hierarchy and secure political and social equality.
The correct option is correct because Du Bois explicitly states that all art is propaganda and must be used to gain rights and respect for Black Americans, indicating that artistic production should be actively employed as a tool for social and political liberation.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the provided excerpt from Du Bois's address.
The text demonstrates that Du Bois views all art as inherently political ("propaganda") and insists it must be used to gain rights for Black Americans.
Understanding the primary source's explicit statement is necessary to identify the author's core argument.
2
Contextualize Du Bois's statement within the Harlem Renaissance debates.
The New Negro Movement featured competing views on whether art should be purely aesthetic (art for art's sake) or politically engaged.
Placing the source within the historical debates of the Harlem Renaissance helps identify the target of Du Bois's critique.
3
Evaluate the choices to find the one matching Du Bois's emphasis on political art for civil rights.
The statement regarding the deliberate harnessing of art to challenge racial hierarchy and secure equality matches Du Bois's argument.
Matching the historical context and the primary source yields the correct answer.

Key Concept

The debate over the political and aesthetic purpose of art during the Harlem Renaissance
Estimated Time:2m 0s
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Topics

The Harlem Renaissance and the New Negro Movement

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