The New Negro Aesthetic: Selected Writings

The late philosopher Locke (1885–1954) tracks the evolving aesthetics of Black art in the first half of the 20th century in this dynamic collection. In “Enter the New Negro,” Locke introduces the thought that was emerging in Black art and culture in the 1920s, that “the mind of the Negro seems suddenly to have slipped from under the tyranny of social intimidation and to be shaking off the psychology of imitation and implied inferiority.” In an excerpt from The Negro and His Music, Locke defends jazz, arguing shrewdly that the genre represents “the serious possibilities of the Negro’s music” and that it has “educated the general musical ear to subtler rhythms, unfinished and closer harmonies, and unusual cadences and tone qualities.” The collection contains well-crafted introductory essays by the editors, Pulitzer Prize–winning Locke biographer Jeffrey C. Stewart and Henry Louis Gates Jr., who situate Locke’s perspective within his historical era while also discussing how his work is relevant to the present: “Locke uncovered that Black art was an economy that would create outsized careers for African Americans of talent, who would also have the opportunity to shape the entire culture at large,” Stewart writes. This is a comprehensive but accessible compendium, a perfect introduction to a titan of Black American thought. (Jan.)