ALAINE LOCKE & IDEAS OF THE RENAISSANCE
Philosopher, Alaine Locke, was the voice of the African Americans. He spoke for the writers and artists and inspired thousands. His ideas paved the way for the renaissance and gave birth to black pride. He expressed that blacks should reject their historical image, that they should not think of themselves as former slaves, and that they had to set a new image for themselves, as descendants of Africans. Locke wrote about how African artistic heritage was at the center of the the black experience. He inspired blacks to show the world what they were made of, who they were, to embrace the African culture, and, most importantly, to make others see how great it was to be black. Locke’s words proclaimed how ridiculous it was for blacks to migrate from the oppressive south, with its Jim Crow laws, extreme prejudice, and lynchings, only to be treated as less important in the north. Locke instilled black pride in African Americans and helped create the New Negro— because of this, he is known as the "Father of the Harlem Renaissance".