The New Negro: An Interpretation

"Of all the voluminous literature on the Negro, so much is mere external view and commentary...We turn therefore in the other direction to the elements of truest social portraiture, and discover in the artistic self-expression of the Negro to-day a new figure on the national canvas and a new force in the foreground of affairs.”

The New Negro Movement of the 1920s marked a shift in the pursuit of African American equality. African American soldiers were returning home from World War I, and after fighting for freedoms abroad, they were inspired to continue that fight on their own soil. The “old” ways had focused on passively accepting social policies, but the “new” ways would harness their collective voices in defining their own identity. The intellectual and artistic movement of the Harlem Renaissance stirred a tremendous wave of social change.

The New Negro was edited by Dr. Alain LeRoy Locke, a great intellectual and social visionary who is also considered the father of the Harlem Renaissance. This collection features works from many influential African American writers, such as Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, and Countee Cullen.

Alain Locke dedicates this book to future generations. In keeping with his vision, inAudio is honored to share this audiobook production with an enduring legacy of listeners.