Baldwin and Locke's interpretations of the New Negro

The New Negro represented a shift in the collective black consciousness during the early nineteenth century. It embodied racial pride and challenged the white hegemony in American society. For Alain Locke, the New Negro engaged in “artistic self-expression” so that he could stimulate social progress and essentially change the dynamics of American society (Locke xxv). The Harlem Renaissance resonated with Locke, as he believed that artists, writers and intellectuals of the movement were essential to the construction of this New Negro. Davarian Baldwin contests this assertion, arguing that black working-class migrants and popular public figures outside of academia were responsible for the creation of the New Negro mentality.

A key component of Baldwin’s argument was that the New Negro could be personified by public figures such as Jack Johnson and Andre “Rube” Foster. Both of these athletes were popular figures that could inspire the black masses, especially considering the role that sports play in any society. The entertainment value of sports contributes to its mass appeal, which is something that academia cannot always accomplish. The cocky attitude of Jack Johnson exhibited towards other white boxers and their fans combined with his skill and technique encouraged the Negro to challenge the notions of inferiority which dated back to the days of slavery. In addition to the mind-set of Johnson, the successes of both Johnson in the ring and of Andre “Rube” Foster on the baseball field allowed them to attain economic security.

Andre “Rube” Foster, like Jack Johnson, was able to achieve notoriety through sports. Similar to Johnson, the combination of unique talent combined with “promotional acumen” allowed him to increase his financial capital while breaking down these notions of inferiority (Baldwin 212). With this accumulation of capital, Foster was able to form his own team. He built community networks while pushing to create a black league, but the Chicago race riots exiled him from all the major league ball parks. Despite the threats and intimidation, he defied white authorities and created a black league, which was seen by the working-class as “a direct expression of New Negro resistance against white supremacy and racial violence” (Baldwin 214). Johnson and Foster were able to use mass consumer marketplace as a means to somewhat achieve the goals of the New Negro. The economic power that they obtained allowed them to fight against the dominant hegemony of American society.

Both Locke and Baldwin assert that the New Negro challenged white supremacy while instilling a sense of racial pride. Both the artistic and entrepreneurial New Negro worked to motivate the black masses while establishing a sense of personal recognition based on their merit. The New Negro utilized both economic power and sociopolitical rhetoric to fight for racial parity.

Dignity and Self-Respect

Langston Hughes’ poem I Too illustrates the notions of dignity and determination that are prevalent in The Warmth of Other Suns. I Too challenges the belief of racial inferiority during the Jim Crow era and it demands equality. Equality is not something that will arbitrarily be given to blacks by the white ruling class. Hughes implies that blacks have to stand up against this ruling class if they want to get recognition as equals. More importantly, blacks deserve the opportunity to work as a professional, but the Jim Crow system effectively limited these opportunities. The white ruling class ensured that standards at colored schools were far below white schools. Job opportunities were scarce, and white employers resisted employing educated black persons.   Pershing Foster experiences this when he tries to get a job as a janitor during his summer break, but the white foreman does not offer him the job, since he is going to college. This was done precisely to maintain the balance of power that Hughes emphasizes that we must resist.

The self-respect and determination evoked in I Too are crucial to this resistance. Another key example of this in Pershing’s life occurs when he helps his brother Madison with his practice. We observe that Pershing is glad to help but “he did not want to be a country doctor”. He wanted “the shiny fixtures of a modern hospital and a staff of nurses at his side”. The self-respect that Hughes encourages in his poem is evident in Pershing. The Jim Crow system does not discourage his dreams, so he continues to look for work outside of his brother’s practice. The complete lack of jobs in the South could have forced him to accept a lower position catering only to a colored clientele similar to his brother. The lack of employment coupled with obligations to his wife Alice and their kids encouraged him to move elsewhere. The fresh start in California was the opportunity that Pershing was waiting for and it would eventually allow him to become the respected surgeon he aspired to be.

Self-Assessment

I never expected that I would major in Black Studies when I left UCSB. As it stands, I will graduate with a double major in Statistical Science and Black Studies. During the spring quarter of my freshman year, I took Black Studies 5 with Professor McAuley since it fulfilled two General Education requirements.  Professor McAuley really impressed me with his detailed critiques of American society during the antebellum period while having the ability to encourage discussion and invite criticism of his ideas. I really enjoyed how we looked at the political and economic motivations that established and maintained slavery. I took my next Black Studies class with Professor McAuley as well, which was Black Studies 100: Africa/U.S. Policy during the winter quarter of my second year. I still was not a major at this point, but this was the best class I have taken at UCSB.  I was surprised with how little we are taught about Africa in high school, I knew almost nothing about African history. US intervention has a played a central role in the development of African politics so that nationalistic movements have not been able to achieve their goals.  I really began to see how political decisions that affected the lives of millions of ordinary people were made in the interests of a select few.

After this class, I began to strongly consider majoring in Black Studies. After taking Black Studies 7 and 104 with McAuley, I took Professor Johnson’s Black Studies 1 class during Fall quarter of my senior year. The class was incredible and I added my major in Black Studies midway through the quarter. She helped me view black studies as a critical social theory and I liked how her class focused on contemporary displays of institutional racism. Also I really enjoyed reading the Autobiography of Malcolm X and learning about what he actually stood for. I also took Black Studies 4: A Critical introduction to Race and Racism with Dr. Johnson. One of the books we had to read was the Possessive Investment in Whiteness by Professor George Lipsitz. The book elaborated on this concept of white privilege and it illustrated the large disparities in wealth between whites and people of color.

I have also taken classes with Professor Earl Stewart and Dr. Jude Akudinobi. I learned quite a bit about the blues genre from Professor Stewart and I have begun to appreciate the songs that R&B artists have released. Professor Akudinobi taught Black Studies 126: Comparative Black Literature, where we discussed how these authors had a distinct perspective on the black experience in different countries.

I have learned so many things as Black Studies Major, yet there are so many things I still want to know. As a Black Studies major, you have to be open to learning and understanding new perspectives and I still have a lot of work to do.