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Difficulty: MediumThe New Negro Movement and Cultural Debates

In his 1926 essay "The Negro Artist and the Racial Mountain," Langston Hughes wrote:

> "But this is the mountain standing in the way of any true Negro art in America—this urge within the race toward urges to be as little Negro and as much American as possible... to be as little Negro as possible, which means, of course, to be as little himself as possible."

Based on the passage, which of the following represents the primary obstacle ("the mountain") facing Black artists during the New Negro Movement?

  1. A
    The economic pressure on Black writers to relocate to the rural South to find authentic folk material, reversing the demographic trends of the era.
  2. B
    The dominant influence of Marcus Garvey's mass movement, which insisted that all artistic expression be subordinate to political nationalism.
  3. The desire among middle-class Black Americans to assimilate into white cultural standards rather than embrace their own heritage.Answer
  4. D
    The strict enforcement of Booker T. Washington's focus on economic self-reliance, which prohibited creative writing and visual arts.

Answer

The desire among middle-class Black Americans to assimilate into white cultural standards rather than embrace their own heritage.
The correct answer identifies the 'mountain' as the pressure on Black artists to assimilate into white cultural standards and middle-class respectability. In the excerpt, Hughes describes this as an 'urge within the race' to be 'as little Negro and as much American as possible,' which he argues prevents the development of authentic Black art.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the quote to identify what Hughes defines as the 'mountain.'
The quote defines the obstacle as the 'urge within the race... to be as little Negro and as much American as possible.'
This shows that the barrier is internal to the community and centers on cultural assimilation.
2
Connect Hughes's concept to the broader debates of the New Negro Movement.
The New Negro Movement debated whether art should conform to Eurocentric middle-class respectability or reflect unique, authentic Black folk culture.
This contextualizes the internal urge as a pressure to assimilate into white standards.
3
Evaluate the choices to find the option that matches this assimilation pressure.
The option stating 'The desire among middle-class Black Americans to assimilate into white cultural standards rather than embrace their own heritage' is the correct match.
It directly reflects the meaning of the passage without introducing historical errors about migration or political figures.

Key Concept

The New Negro Movement and Cultural Debates
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The New Negro Movement and Cultural Debates

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