Alain L. Locke: The Biography of a PhilosopherAlain L. Locke (1886-1954), in his famous 1925 anthology TheNew Negro, declared that “the pulse of the Negro world has begun to beat in Harlem.” Often called the father of the Harlem Renaissance, Locke had his finger directly on that pulse, promoting, influencing, and sparring with such figures as Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, Jacob Lawrence, Richmond Barthé, William Grant Still, Booker T. Washington, W. E. B. Du Bois, Ralph Bunche, and John Dewey. The long-awaited first biography of this extraordinarily gifted philosopher and writer, Alain L. Locke narrates the untold story of his profound impact on twentieth-century America’s cultural and intellectual life. Leonard Harris and Charles Molesworth trace this story through Locke’s Philadelphia upbringing, his undergraduate years at Harvard—where William James helped spark his influential engagement with pragmatism—and his tenure as the first African American Rhodes Scholar. The heart of their narrative illuminates Locke’s heady years in 1920s New York City and his forty-year career at Howard University, where he helped spearhead the adult education movement of the 1930s and wrote on topics ranging from the philosophy of value to the theory of democracy. Harris and Molesworth show that throughout this illustrious career—despite a formal manner that many observers interpreted as elitist or distant—Locke remained a warm and effective teacher and mentor, as well as a fierce champion of literature and art as means of breaking down barriers between communities. The multifaceted portrait that emerges from this engaging account effectively reclaims Locke’s rightful place in the pantheon of America’s most important minds. |
From inside the book
Page 1
... organizing principles of Locke's intellectual life. The unity these three subjects offer is best pursued by thinking of them less as academic courses—though Locke understood the need to turn them into such—and more as the Introduction.
... organizing principles of Locke's intellectual life. The unity these three subjects offer is best pursued by thinking of them less as academic courses—though Locke understood the need to turn them into such—and more as the Introduction.
Page 3
... governing idea behind all that Locke produced. The life itself has genuine drama and interest, we believe, from his well-known academic and literary accomplishments to lesser known “worldly” events, such as his attending the Introduction 3.
... governing idea behind all that Locke produced. The life itself has genuine drama and interest, we believe, from his well-known academic and literary accomplishments to lesser known “worldly” events, such as his attending the Introduction 3.
Page 19
... academic excellence carried him into a class where the average age of the other students was two years beyond his: “leading to the cycle—more frustration— more study.” A rare early letter to his mother (who has apparently taken a trip ...
... academic excellence carried him into a class where the average age of the other students was two years beyond his: “leading to the cycle—more frustration— more study.” A rare early letter to his mother (who has apparently taken a trip ...
Page 20
... academic environment, much of it shaped by an emphasis on European cultural traditions. The first high school to be established by a special law of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, it had been founded in 1836. Its original building was ...
... academic environment, much of it shaped by an emphasis on European cultural traditions. The first high school to be established by a special law of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, it had been founded in 1836. Its original building was ...
Page 30
... academic year 1904–1905 Locke worked extremely hard. He was able to keep his grades up by relying on the study habits and frequent writing he had practiced at Pedagogy. At the same time he developed a sophisticated social life. The ...
... academic year 1904–1905 Locke worked extremely hard. He was able to keep his grades up by relying on the study habits and frequent writing he had practiced at Pedagogy. At the same time he developed a sophisticated social life. The ...
Contents
1 | |
5 | |
28 | |
3 Oxford and Berlin | 59 |
The Early Years | 107 |
5 Howard and Beyond | 142 |
6 The Renaissance and the New Negro | 179 |
7 After The New Negro | 218 |
Sahdji to the Bronze Booklets | 251 |
9 The Educator at Work and at Large | 285 |
10 Theorizing Democracy | 328 |
11 The Final Years | 358 |
12 Lockes Legacy | 381 |
Notes | 391 |
Index | 419 |
Other editions - View all
Alain L. Locke: The Biography of a Philosopher Leonard Harris,Charles Molesworth No preview available - 2010 |
Alain L. Locke: The Biography of a Philosopher Leonard Harris,Charles Molesworth No preview available - 2008 |
Common terms and phrases
academic African American African art Alain Locke ALPHU appeared argued argument artistic attitude Berlin Bois’s called Claude McKay College color Cosmopolitan criticism Cullen cultural decades democracy Dickerman early especially essay esthetic eventually experience expression Fauset friends friendship Harlem Renaissance Harvard Howard University Hughes Hughes’s Hurston idea intellectual interest issue Johnson journal Kallen Kellogg Kelly Miller Langston Langston Hughes later lectures letter literary literature Locke felt Locke wrote Locke’s Mary Locke Mason McKay McKay’s Moorland-Spingarn Research Center mother Negro art novel one’s Oxford Philadelphia philosophy poems poet poetry political problem published question race racial racism Rhodes Rhodes Scholarship role Sahdji Schomburg School Seme sense social story Survey Graphic talent theory thought tion told Locke took Toomer tradition value theory values Vechten views W. E. B. Du Bois Washington writing year-end reviews York