What does Alain Locke mean when he says, "The day of 'aunties.' 'uncles,' and 'mammies' is equally gone."? Why does he say this?
During the 1920’s to the 1930’s the ‘New Negro” emerged from American society. They were no longer the stereotypical “aunties,” “uncles,” and “mammies.” This all emerged from the center of Harlem were they were able to find themselves socially and connect with other peoples in what is known as the Harlem Renaissance.
Many African Americans from all over the United States had moved North during the Great Migration in order to find a better living. In this migration, many difficult people from different backgrounds came together creating a large cultural mix in many communities; one notable one is the Harlem Community in New York. People came from all over with different intentions on their minds, and they used their new found freedoms to come together and represent themselves.
The new community is home to many people of different talents, no longer just the stereotypical African Americans that were forced to be submissive in the south and give up all of their beliefs in order to survive, but many who were expressing themselves in their own ways. This mixture of culture eventually began to culminate, grow, and spread as a new identity for African Americans commonly referred to as “The New Negro.”
Alain Locke wrote about the social issues of the time and came up with the conclusion that the mixture of beliefs and cultures created a new identity of which African Americans could connect to and be a part of to create something bigger. It was no longer the singular “aunties,” “uncles,” and “mammies” that represented African Americans, but it was the brand new artists, poets, singers, etc. that represented the new culture that had cultivated from the mixture creating “The New Negro.”
The second to the last paragraph really caught my attention. It was very expressive and I knew what you were trying to convey. Also, "It was no longer the singular “aunties,” “uncles,” and “mammies” that represented African Americans, but it was the brand new artists, poets, singers, etc. that represented the new culture that had cultivated from the mixture creating “The New Negro.”" was something I didn't even think of! I was really impressed. :)
ReplyDeleteI agree with Devin. The third paragraph really caught my attention as well. The New Negro was part of the Harlem Renaissance as well. Locke was not only saying that they were more than what they had been treated like but they were also unique and talented. I really like how you included this in your response.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed how you gave an overview of the Harlem Renaissance before going into answering the question. It helped the reader to further understand your reasoning behind your answer. It all fit very well together as far as organization goes and was well-spoken. You might want to beware though, of some spelling mistakes. haha. Other than that, I really enjoyed it!
ReplyDeleteI really like your reaction. I really get the sense that the "New Negro" was trying to establish something new from himself. The terms that Alain Locke used, "aunties", "uncles" and "mammies", do show to be derogatory and that they indeed need to create a new sense of community. I liked the way you put that. I have to agree with Ashley about the spelling mistakes, but hey, we all make those! Good job!
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