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Zorluk: OrtaThe New Negro Movement and Cultural Debates

Read the excerpt from W. E. B. Du Bois's essay 'Criteria of Negro Art' (1926) 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. I do not care a damn for any art that is not used for propaganda.'

Which of the following best describes the primary disagreement between W. E. B. Du Bois's artistic philosophy and that of many younger Harlem Renaissance writers, such as Langston Hughes?

  1. A
    Du Bois argued that Black cultural production should focus on vocational training and economic self-sufficiency, whereas the younger writers prioritized direct political lobbying and legal challenges.
  2. B
    Du Bois called for Black artists to abandon American citizenship in favor of building a separate African national aesthetic, while the younger writers advocated for complete integration into white American institutions.
  3. Du Bois believed art must actively serve the political goal of racial advancement, whereas the younger writers argued that art should reflect authentic, uncensored personal and cultural expression.Cevap
  4. D
    Du Bois advocated for a mass nationalist movement focused on economic repatriation and physical return to Africa, while the younger writers favored building elite political coalitions in the North.

Cevap

Du Bois believed art must actively serve the political goal of racial advancement, whereas the younger writers argued that art should reflect authentic, uncensored personal and cultural expression.
The correct answer accurately captures the tension between W. E. B. Du Bois's belief that all art must serve a political purpose to combat racism and secure civil rights, and the younger generation of Harlem Renaissance artists—such as Langston Hughes—who rejected the burden of respectability politics and argued for the freedom to depict Black life in all its complexity, including its working-class and folk elements.

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1
Analyze Du Bois's argument in the provided excerpt.
Du Bois explicitly claims that 'all Art is propaganda' and that he uses his writing to advocate for the rights of Black people, showing he believes art must have a political and social purpose.
This establishes Du Bois's position in the cultural debate of the period.
2
Contrast Du Bois's views with those of younger Harlem Renaissance writers like Langston Hughes.
Younger writers defended their right to portray working-class Black life and individual experiences without feeling pressured to conform to political propaganda or middle-class respectability.
This identifies the counterpoint in the debate.
3
Select the option that correctly represents this divergence of philosophies.
The option contrasting art as a tool for political advancement with art as authentic, uncensored personal expression is the correct choice.
It accurately reflects both sides of the historical debate.

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

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