Alain Locke

From Harlem Renaissance

Alain Locke 1886-1954

Contents 1 School Years 2 Career 3 Writings 4 References

School Years

Alain Locke was born on September 13, 1886 in Philadelphia. There he spent most of his childhood. His father, Pliny Ishmael Locke, was a teacher and postal clerk. His mother, Mary Hawkins, was a schoolteacher and mostly supported her son through teaching. Alain was born an only child. At an early age Alain contracted rheumatic fever, which permanently damaged his heart and restricted his physical activities. Therefore, Alain spent time reading books and playing the piano and the violin. Alain's father died when Alain was only six.

Alain became a very diligent and intelligent student during the many years of school. Alain attended central high school where he graduated second in the class of 1902. He moved on to study at the Philadelphia School of Pedagogy where he graduated first in his class. After high school Alain entered Harvard University where he studied under William James and many of the other leading American philosophers on the faculty. There he completed Harvard's four year program in three, winning the school's most prestigious award, the Bowdoin Prize, for an essay in English.

This was a remarkable achievement for anyone. During this highly segregated era Locke became a "symbol" of achievement and offered a powerful argument offering African Americans equal opportunity at white educational institutions.

Locke moved on sailing to England in 1907 to attend Oxford University where he studied philosophy, Greek, and Literae Humaniores. From there he moved to Germany for more advanced work in philosophy at the University of Berlin from 1910 to 1911.

Career

Europe at the time was the "center" of Western civilization. Locke's many years there being exposed to modern literature, music, art, dance, and innumerable meetings with other African Americans and other nonwhites from around the world created new perspectives for viewing American society and culture. This trip around the world made Alain realize that racial discrimination was a global problem.

Alain Locke returned from Europe in 1912 where he faced a problem. Alain had an amazing educational background and was more qualified than many white collage professors, but because of his race he was not allowed to teach at a white collages. However, this same level of achievement set him so widely apart from his fellow African Americans.

Locke took a six month "tour" of the southern states to better familiarize himself to the segregated world of America. Through this he realized that the only way for African Americans to gain respect and equality was by setting high standards and demonstrating accomplishments that were similar to whites. This became a goal to Locke and by teaching at college level and promoting African and African American culture he would be able to reach his goal.

The following September, Locke became assistant professor of English at Howard University. Locke had a dream to establish Howard University as the country's main African American University, a "training ground" for African Americans, and a center for African American culture and research on the subject of racial problems. However, the school's board of trustees refused to let Locke teach these courses on race relations. This sent Locke into a frenzie and he turned his studies back toward philosophy. In 1916 he began his dissertation under the philosopher, Josiah Royce. Which later, in 1918, allowed him to become Howard's full professor in philosophy.

Writings

Alain Locke wrote many theories and essays on the subject of racial problems in America. He had many powerful arguments to offer and he always seemed to find a way to at least get his ideas out in the open. By editing works, such as the "Four Negro Poets," he was able to bring together and offer exposure to those he felt best represented the vanguard which W.E.B. Du Bois dubbed the "Talented Tenth." In this very racial time period it was astonishing what Locke put his mind to and accomplished. He "had a dream" you could say and in the end he left his mark in world hisory.

Alain Locke was an activist so most of his work was on racial problems and fairness between the Americans and the African Americans. Alain wasn't against Americans, but he wanted to stress the fact that everybody is equal. Most of his writings consisted of only African American poetry or essays. Alain Locke wanted to share his success with other African American unknown writers. According to critic Steve Watson, "His wispy figure could be seen briskly strolling through Harlem in his perfectly tailored suits, with a tightly wound umbrella as his stick, delivering erudite pronouncements in high pitched rapid-fire sentences."

Locke authored The New Negro: An Interpretation which became the "symbol of a new era." It was a powerful anthology including essays by himself and other writers describing the change in race relations in the United States. Locke believed that African American life was "not only establishing new contacts and founding new centers, it is finding a new soul." The publication of The New Negro came with a "package." In this "package" Locke became the leading theoretician and strategist of the New Negro Movement. Critics became forced to take black writing seriously because of this publication. It also helped unite struggling African American authors of the time period. Locke confessed that he was a "philosophical midwife" to a generation of African American artists and writers.

The "Four Negro Poets" also edited by Alain Locke also became historically famous. The "Four Negro Poets" consisted of poems written by: Claude McKay, Jean Toomer, Countee Cullen, and Langston Hughes.

References

http://www.africawithin.com/bios/alain_locke.htm

http://web.csustan.edu/english/reuben/pal/chap9/locke.html

http://www.founders.howard.edu/locke.htm

Alain Locke 1886-1954

Harvard University where Alain Locke was educated

The New Negro edited by Alain Locke

"Locke, Alain (1886-1954)." Encyclopedia of World Biography. Ed. Suzanne M. Bourgoin. 2nd ed. Detroit: Gale Research, 1998. 17 vols.Student Resource Center - Gold. Gale. San Francisco Public Library. 4 Mar. 2008

"Locke, Alain (1886-1954)." DISCovering Multicultural America. Online ed. Detroit: Gale, 2003. Student Resource Center - Gold. Gale. San Francisco Public Library. 4 Mar. 2008

Wintz, Cary. Harlem Speaks, A living History of the Harlem Renaissance. Naperville: Sourcebooks Inc., 2007.

Hill, Laban. "Harlem Stomp! A cultural history of the Harlem Renaissance". New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2003.