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Difficulty: EasyThe Harlem Renaissance and the New Negro Movement

In his 1925 essay, Alain Locke wrote that 'the Negro today is becoming his own evaluator, and is beginning to see himself as he is, not as he is seen.' Which of the following goals of the Harlem Renaissance is best illustrated by this statement?

  1. Fostering cultural self-determination and challenging external racial stereotypesAnswer
  2. B
    Advocating for the mass migration of all African Americans to West Africa
  3. C
    Attributing the growth of Black culture solely to Northern industrial pull factors during the Great Migration
  4. D
    Resolving the Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Du Bois debate by prioritizing industrial education

Answer

Fostering cultural self-determination and challenging external racial stereotypes
The correct answer is correct because Alain Locke's quote from 'The New Negro' directly addresses the concept of self-definition and self-evaluation. This was a defining goal of the Harlem Renaissance, where Black artists, writers, and intellectuals rejected paternalistic white depictions and instead cultivated their own artistic agency, racial pride, and self-determination.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the quote by Alain Locke.
The quote emphasizes that African Americans are becoming their own 'evaluators' and defining their identity for themselves.
This is the primary evidence provided in the stem.
2
Connect the quote's meaning to the core tenets of the Harlem Renaissance.
Self-evaluation and self-definition align with cultural self-determination and the subversion of racial stereotypes.
The New Negro Movement sought to discard old caricatures in favor of self-produced art and literature.
3
Evaluate the options and identify the one that matches this core tenet.
The option advocating for cultural self-determination matches the analysis of the quote, while others represent unrelated debates, emigrationist stances, or reductionist views of migration.
To select the correct response among the plausible distractors.

Key Concept

The New Negro Movement and Cultural self-determination
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Topics

The Harlem Renaissance and the New Negro Movement

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