Lou:
        Breaking Through by Eunice Roberta Hunton was the poem chosen to be used as historical evidence about the “New Negro.” This poem gives the reader an insight of what Harlem was all about. How the people of Harlem lived and would stay within their boundaries. But in support of the new Negro, there are those who have jobs in factories, office buildings, and hotels which allow the people to go on long excursions during work hours. Harlem lacked children going to class to receive an education. Instead people would escape and find their ways into professions. But when people would achieve in new paths this would bring a sense of pride to the race. It gave others the opportunity to push themselves in the path that was now opened. This chance gave success and failure to people but allowed the new Negro to have self-respect and self-dependent.

        The article chosen to be used as historical evidence about the “New Negro” was The Making of Harlem by James Weldon Johnson. In this article we can see how a wise black man went up to white realtors and influenced them that he could fill houses with steady black people. As time progressed the black population started to fill up more houses. An attempt was made to stop this movement by the whites but the new black population came up with their own realty company and started buying and occupying homes for the colored people. The people of Harlem were a working population and saved their money. Work was looking for them and easy to find when new blacks would come into the area. Harlem offered the black population more opportunities and advantages.

Nicole H.:
HARLEM by LOCKE
The article about Harlem describes the city of Harlem located in New York and its significant impact on those who live there. It is said to be that “Harlem of monster parades and political flummery, a Harlem swept by revolutionary oratory or draped about the mysterious figures of Negro "millionaires," a Harlem pre-occupied with naive adjustments to a white world--a Harlem, in short, grotesque with the distortions of journalism”. In other words, Harlem is a place of opportunity for the New Negro.  “Harlem is neither slum, ghetto, resort or colony, though it is in part all of them. It is--or promises at least to be--a race capital”. It is Harlem where those of African decent chose to migrate when coming to America. Harlem was a place where “negro life is not only founding new centers, but finding a new soul”. It is here that for the first time, African Americans were bound by customs and cultures, which in turn helped nurture the “new negro”.

The poem BROWN GIRL DEAD
Is a very morbid poem about an African American woman who passes away. The poem itself insinuates a romantic relationship with death, noting that it is almost a good, positive thing. Perhaps implying that life as a negro was difficult and now through death she can finally be at peace.  “Lord death has found her sweet”.

Alex B.:
            The article titled “Harlem” by Alain Locke can be used pretty specifically as historical evidence about the “New Negro”.  This article talks about society in Harlem and what Harlem was now like, filled with “Negroes”.  Locke mentions that Harlem was the latest attempt at democracy for the black population.  Locke makes it obvious that Harlem is now the center for “New Negroes” and their racy music, cabarets and other forms of their entertainment.  In this article Locke explains that Harlem is neither or a slum or ghetto and at the same time it is not a colony or resort but instead to be a race capital.  Harlem is a place where there are little to no worries, it is a place where “Negroes” could find new soul.  Harlem can be considered the center to where different groups can get to together and find one another and share common ideas and motives.  Although Harlem was not the center of black education or black industries, Harlem was in fact the place where a one time cotton farmer can be a part of the most complex urban civilization.  Harlem gave the black man a chance to find himself and express himself by giving opportunities in reading, writing, poetry, reformers, advocates, and thinkers.  Locke ends the article by claiming that if we only focus our eyes on the newly found escape of Harlem and the feelings and expressions being felt in Harlem we will understand and see the “New Negro”.

Kerry:
The poem that I chose was “Like a Strong Tree” by Claude McKay.  I chose this poem because it talks about the emotions of black people during a time of much adversity and hatred.  The description of potentially harmful things, such as rain, storms and draughts could be metaphors for some of the things that blacks faced on a daily basis.  However, like a tree African Americans remained strong.  This poem is historical evidence by showing the reader that the attitude of blacks has changed.  They were going to stick up for themselves and the rights the deserved rather than sit back and let people abuse them.

The article I chose was “Harlem” by Alain Locke.  I believe it could be used as historical evidence about the “new negro” because it showed how this neighborhood of New York had such a strong impact on the movement.  It talks about Harlem being a place that “represents the Negro’s latest thrust towards democracy”.  The stores, churches and even places such as delis have served as inspiration for writers and poets to express their emotions and feelings about how African Americans felt about the current America and what changes they yearned for.  New types of music and dance also developed in Harlem and also had a great impact on how African Americans expressed themselves and their ideas.  It is because of Harlem and the inspiration it provided its artists through which the “new negro” movement gained the momentum it needed to help define a generation of African American activist and artists whom we still study today.

Kelsey: Harlem Types portraits by Winold Reiss portrays different negros and shows what they are looked at as.  Contrary to many other articles that portrayed negros as artistic and stronger than before, these sketches aim to show negros as Reiss sees them.  These are the every day people who are maybe not looked at when disscussing the 'new negros'.  The first sketch shows a man with an almost timid stare on his face, he does not seem like the confident, young negro that is being expressed in other articles.  The next two pictures show women and girls, again these are not strong pictures. The woman seems more sure of herself but the children or girls still seem scared or timid as well.  The third set of pictures shows young negros, who do not seem very confident.  They again have blank expressions on their face, and do not seem very sure of themselves.  These pictures to Reiss are to portray the beauty of the negros, which is not easily caught at first glance.  He wants to show the people as they really are, and not embelish them to be something that they are not, which makes them the 'new', beautiful, negros that he sees.

Christina:
Poem: Heritage by Countée Cullen

            This poem describes the heritage of African Americans and how they lived in Africa. Countée Cullen explains that Africa is a “jungle star and jungle track” with “strong bronzed men and regal black women from whose loins I sprang.” This description is showing the author’s acknowledgment that African Americans come from a jungle society unlike America. Cullen continues to describe how African Americans endure discrimination all the while thinking back to their past, although centuries ago, and the better and different life they could have led. The end of the poem seems to be talking about how in African Americans hearts they have different roles: “although I speak with my mouth, thus, in my heart Do I not play a double part?” Possibly one that traces back to their origins in Africa and one that is in being discriminated in America. This seems to relate to the New Negro because it is a reflection on the hardships of African Americans being taken away centuries ago from their original home in Africa to only be discriminated and treated badly in America.

Article: Youth Speaks by Alain Locke

            This article is describing the Negro youth to be speaking “out of a unique experience and with a particular representativeness.” They are taking their past experiences of discrimination and turning them into art and culture that contributes to society. The attitude taken by the New Negro is seen in Negro youth because of their new outlook and attitude towards life. It is a new time in their history as Locke states that the artists, poets, and authors of the New Negroes “constitute a new generation not because of years only, but because of a new aesthetic and a new philosophy of life.” This article discusses that the New Negro attitude is something never seen before in America’s cultural history and refers to it as a “spiritual quickening and racial leavening.” He continues to explain that Negroes are no longer focusing on their despairs in life but striving to move forward and emancipating themselves from their discriminations.

Jessica:
Enter the New Negro
“The Negro himself has contributed his share to this through a sort of protective social mimicry forced upon him by the adverse circumstances of dependence. So for generations in the mind of America, the Negro has been more of a formula than a human being --a something to be argued about, condemned or defended, to be "kept down," or "in his place," or "helped up," to be worried with or worried over, harassed or patronized, a social bogey or a social burden.”
-this quote identifies how the “old negro” was someone who was to be laughed at and who helped in the stereotype that the world had created for him. The new historical evidence shows that the “new negro” is now aware that they play an important role in society and are “thinking” and not people to be looked down upon.
 
“Through having had to appeal from the unjust stereotypes of his oppressors and traducers to those of his liberators, friends and benefactors he has subscribed to the traditional positions from which his case has been viewed”
-this quote expresses how hard it is to overcome a stereotype that has been given to you. The “new negro” had to overcome this burden in order to move on in their own life. This proves to be  difficult.

Kevin:
1. http://etext.virginia.edu/harlem/surgr681.jpg

I chose “Baptism” by Claude McKay.  I think this poem could be used to describe the New Negro.  In the poem it talks about a person going into a furnace without fear and coming out stronger than they had went in.  This could be interpreted as an African American going into American society and taking on the injustices and prejudices that they faced and not letting it get them down.  That’s what the New Negroes did.  They were proud of their black heritage and expressed it through their art, music, and theatre during the Harlem Renaissance.  So this poem describes the new Negro in that it shows a person who was willing to make the most of their opportunities despite all the hatred around them.    

2. http://etext.virginia.edu/harlem/WhiColoF.html

I chose “Color Lines” by Walter F. White.  This article has evidence of the “new negro” because in the very beginning of the article it talks about a black stage performer.  When it describes the actor that played in Eugene O’Neil's The Emperor Jones at Provincetown Theatre, it personifies the new Negro because during the 1920’s we see a trend of blacks expressing their artistic ability in art, theatre, and music.  This is commonly known as the Harlem Renaissance.  The article describes New York City as a place that was ideal for the “New Negro.”  New York was a place that many different races and ethnicities came together and lived side-by-side, which meant that there was a very small basis for racial violence and hatred.  They also talked about how blacks that were lighter skinned had better opportunities for jobs than blacks that were darker skinned.  The article mentions this and also directly relates to the author, Walter White.  White was an African-American that had white skin, blond hair, and blue eyes.  He was not perceived as black, so immediately he was afforded many more opportunities than other blacks.  An example of this is the four black people that he talks about that saw the show and then went to go eat after.  They were denied service almost anywhere they went and finally decided to go uptown to Harlem to get food.  If Walter White were in their situation it would be very unlikely he would be denied service because his appearance makes him look white when he’s actually black.  

Natalie:
1. Poem: “Song” by Langston Hughes
Song
Lovely, dark, and lonely one
Bare your bosom to the sun
Do not be afraid of night
You who are a child of night.

Open wide your arms to life
Whirl in the wind of pain and strife
Face the wall with the dark closed gate
Beat with bare, brown fists
And wait.

This poem, in conjunction with the views portrayed by Schomburg in the following article, serves as a “call-to-action” for the African-American community as well as a warning of patience. Langston Hughes here addresses several different presumptions of his own community, giving confidence to those readers who had doubted themselves previously. First he addresses the appearance of the Negro’s skin – “lovely” as he calls it in the first line – negating the common view that society had had at the time. He tells them to present themselves in broad daylight, without hesitation or fear, as they had done before, during the nights of the past. In stanza two, he commands them to embrace all that life has to offer them outside of the boundaries that the white man has set for them, and be patient: it takes confidence (as alluded to in the first stanza), patience, and suffering in order to achieve truly wonderful things. One cannot simply sit by and wait for opportunity to happen upon them: they must seek it out, and fight for it. Langston Hughes speaks not only to those “New Negroes” of Harlem that have already begun to raise their voices, but more importantly to those who have yet to break out of their shells, those Negroes who have yet to even recognize their individual beauty and potential.

2. Article: “The Negro Digs Up His Past” by Arthur A. Schomburg
“The Negro has been a man without a history because he has been considered a man without a worthy culture” (Schomburg) concludes Arthur A. Schomburg in his article “The Negro Digs Up His Past”, hailing a well known belief as the root of the main problem: the issue of the Negro’s place in American culture in the early 20th century. Schomburg claims that it is the lack of a complete and positive history of the African-American race in America that has led them to ruin until that point. It is often said that one must appreciate their past to fully accept and progress into the future: in this case Schomburg is concerned with where the next generation of blacks will find themselves in a decade. While he is not claiming to eliminate the American history of African-Americans entirely, he does wish to add and highlight some key moments that are not deemed as important as they should be. Besides naming several successful individuals of the race, Schomburg writes, “that by virtue of their being regarded as something ‘exceptional,’ even by friends and well-wishers, Negroes of attainment and genius have been unfairly disassociated from the group, and group credit lost accordingly” (Schomburg). Schomburg notes that history is not made in giant leaps, but in long gradual strides: therefore he proposes that in “rewriting” the history of the African-American people, individual exceptions are credited to those people as members of their race, building up tolerance in order to eventually accept the idea of groups of “exceptional” black individuals actually accomplishing something. “To place before Negro youth in the schools the true story of race vicissitude, struggle and accomplishment. So that quite largely now the ambition of Negro youth can be nourished on its own milk” (Schomburg).

Schomburg’s article itself is a “call-to-action” for all Negroes to rewrite history, or at least perceive it in a different light. The way that white men had previously written history had led to specific lower expectations for Negroes inspiring the majority of them to remain as they were and do what was expected of them. African-Americans themselves were not often portrayed in advertisements, leading them to be viewed as lesser members of society, just as ads favored Nordic over Aryan appearances and the wealthy over dirty laborers. Schomburg’s article calls the “New Negro” to rewrite history so that the future generations will be able to live up to higher expectations rather than the ones that white men have provided them.

Lauren:
1.The Dream Keeper
Bring me all of your dreams,
You dreamers,
Bring me all of your
Heart melodies
That I may wrap them
In a blue cloud-cloth
Away from the too-rough fingers
Of the world.

I chose the Dream Keeper by Langston Hughes because I thought it showed the hope that the Harlem Renaissance brought to black people while also acknowledging that change wasn’t instant and that the lives of blacks were not going to be instantaneously better. I think that Hughes is kind of saying that at this time blacks actually can dream of a better future and try their hand at writing, art, and other pursuits but by saying that he has to save them from the “too rough fingers of the world,” I think he’s implying that these people are struggling but by pursuing their interests, even if their shot down, they are paving the way for the next generation to get a little bit farther then they were able to. I think he portrays the new Negro just by the fact that he’s writing and being published but also by encouraging blacks to go farther than the lives they were boxed into previously.

2. The Rhythm Of Harlem- Konrad Bercovici

This article was interesting it that in that it was a white man acknowledging the presence of the Harlem Renaissance and the new Negro. I think this article does a good job of showing that no matter how far black people come, (at the time) it seemed impossible that they would ever be totally equal, just because people would never be able to look past the initial color difference. Bercovici shows that views towards blacks are changing as he went to black performances and interacted on a equal level with black people even as he noted that society as a whole would probably never be able to do that. This showed the “new negro” by blacks recognizing that they were no longer inferior and no longer accepting the fact that they were subservient to whites. I think that this article shows the beginnings of blacks taking hold of their culture and ethnicity and using it to create a “new” culture for themselves of which they can be proud.

Dylan:
I chose the poem “White Houses”. In this poem Claude McKay discusses the struggles of the African American and the strength they must have to restrain against the hatred of the whites. It depicts the “New Negro” as individuals who will rise above the hatred and oppression white America is putting upon them. One line in particular portrays this saying “I possess the courage and the grace to bear my anger proudly and unbent”. The “New Negro” as is being described here will overcome this oppression through grace and non violent expression. They will not fight back with fists but with words and art and show that they are not an inferior race but one of class and strength.

The article I chose was “Enter the New Negro” by Alain Locke. This provides historical evidence about the “New Negro” for a number of reasons. First Locke was the one who brought the idea of the “New Negro” to the forefront. He is an expert on the matter. He discusses this in his article saying “With this renewed self-respect and self-dependence, the life of the Negro community is bound to enter a new dynamic phase, the buoyancy from within compensating for whatever pressure there may be of conditions from without. The migrant masses, shifting from countryside to city, hurdle several generations of experience at a leap, but more important, the same thing happens spiritually in the life-attitudes and self-expression of the Young Negro, in his poetry, his art, his education and his new outlook, with the additional advantage, of course, of the poise and greater certainty of knowing what it is all about”. He talks about the new attitude of the Negro as well as the new self expression coming from that community. The “New Negro” brings a completely different perspective to both art and a toughness in attitude that few can match based mainly on the experiences the black community went through up until this point. Their music is unique and their poetry heartfelt with a sense of pride and courage that can not be seen in history up until this point.

Josh:
The article I chose was Negro Art and America by Albert C. Barnes. In the beginning it really tries to show that art is necessary for the “New Negro.” They were beginning to see more rights in the community, and art was a good channel for them to reflect their suffering, aspirations, and joys. Art has always done a good job at that, and it was pivotal for the “New Negro.” It was ironic that Mr. Barnes says “The Negro is a poet by birth.” It was very interesting to think about that, because poetry is something not easily conquered. The “New Negro” also has spirituality that is unmatched by whites, and they can show their spirituality through the arts. There is a clear message that through the Negroes' suffering made them the high caliber artists that they were. The “New Negro” was also responsible for the success of the music the black community was producing. Every time they sang it was supposed to bring on “exquisite joy.” To sum the article up the “New Negro” needs art as a passage to help improve the black community. They can use art to make their story be heard, and show that they are human beings and are no different than the white community

I also chose Color Lines by Walter F. White. It shows the division between the races. Even the mulattos do not get compared to the black man. Some people try to make the division not look so apparent, but art is the only way the “New Negro” can express themselves. They can say anything they want through art, and not be persecuted for their opinions. It is very interesting that the arts can help makes the black community more free, and that there is not segregation in the arts.

Brian:            
The poem I chose was “America” by Claude McKay. This poem, while short, gives us significant insight as to the attitude in regards “New Negro.” In the very beginning of the poem, McKay recognizes the fact that America as a society rejects him and his people because of their differences. The speaker says “Although she feeds me bread of bitterness/And sinks into my throat her tiger’s tooth/…I will confess/I love this cultured hell that tests my youth!” (ln. 1-4). McKay is stating that the African-American race face horrible prejudices that the society has against them, yet even still, he loves this place, and he explains his reasoning later. In his recognition of this prejudice, McKay portrays the New Negro as optimistic that things will get better, and that they are not phased by the injustices against the African-American race. The speaker says  "Yet as a rebel fronts a king in state/I stand within her walls with not a shred/Of terror, malice, not a word of jeer/Darkly I gaze into the days ahead/And see her might and granite wonders there" (ln. 8-12). He "darkly gazes into the days ahead" wondering if times will get better, but also realizes that it will take time to get to those days.
            Similarly in Hunton’s article Breaking Through she attributes the desire to better the “New Negro” to the youth. She makes the points that the youths have lead to finding the “beaten paths of experience” with the attitude that if they cannot practice what they want to learn in the professional world, perhaps they could teach it. Its this optimism that ties into Claude McKay’s poem America; they are looking for anyway to better themselves. Hunton states “Whereas many who break the bones are actuated solely by the desire to get the best for themselves in spite of proscription, a few realize that they are blazing a trail that others of the race may follow.”  The inherent good the “New Negro” that they are doing for themselves, they are also paving the way for others to follow and that they can do things for themselves instead of just following orders as the race had done earlier in history.

Stephanie:

A Brown Girl Dead
With two white roses on her breasts,
White candles at head and feet,
Dark Madonna of the grave she rests;
Lord Death has found her sweet.

Her mother pawned her wedding ring
To lay her out in white;
She'd be so proud she'd dance and sing
to see herself tonight.
Countée Cullen


Maegan:
“Four Portraits of Negro Women” was the article that I chose from the website.  I chose this because I thought it would be interesting to compare faces of the Negro women to that of white women during this time period.  The Negro women always seem so sad and kind of slouch down in their poses.  On the other hand, we have seen white women at the same time sitting proudly and smiling from ear to ear because they have everything that could ever want.  These pictures just show how depressing some times were for the blacks.

http://etext.virginia.edu/harlem/ReiPortF.html <http://etext.virginia.edu/harlem/ReiPortF.html>

The poem that I chose was “To a Brown Boy”.  It seems like this poem was aimed at Negro boys/men almost encouraging them to have children so that the white people will respect them.  When a Negro man and a Negro woman have a child it will not be questionable that it was their doing and no one that is white had any part in it.  

http://etext.virginia.edu/harlem/surgr660.jpg <http://etext.virginia.edu/harlem/surgr660.jpg>


Becca:

http://etext.virginia.edu/harlem/surgr660.jpg

            I chose the poem “To A Brown Boy” because in the poem it describes a black girl as being beautiful and a queen. It also describes her black features and how it is a beautiful thing. This expresses the “new negro” because they were now able to view each other as beautiful and not just slaves that were meant to only serve white people.

“And when your body’s death gives birth
    To Soil for spring to crown,
Men will not ask if that earth
    Was white flesh once, or brown”

I thought these lines were meaningful because it is getting to the point where blacks and whites can be equal and showing how one day people won’t care about race.

http://etext.virginia.edu/harlem/ReiHarlF.html

            I chose this article because it was about a painter named Winold Reiss. In this article it explains the efforts behind his paintings and how he gets his inspiration. His paintings aren’t of slaves but of black people that have personalities and lives with souls. He looks past the racial surroundings and into the people and tries to show this through his paintings. We can use this to show the “New Negro” because he paints a picture of a black boy scout and a female black lawyer. It was very difficult for blacks to receive educations and painting a black lawyer shows that blacks were gaining opportunities and making more of themselves rather than sit there and let the racist world hold them back. 

“Through it in all likelihood must come his best development in the field of the pictorial arts, for his capacity to express beauty depends vitally upon the capacity to see it in his own life and to generate it out of his own experience.”
           
            In this quote it is explaining how everyone has the opportunity to experience beauty in his life even blacks. Through his paintings he shows the beauty of their culture and people.

“In design also he looks not merely for decorative elements, but for the pattern of the culture from which it sprang. Without loss of naturalistic accuracy and individuality, he somehow subtly expresses the type, and without being any the less human, captures the racial and local.”
           
            This quote tells howWinold Reiss is able to capture the culture and skin color in an intriguing way.

Mike M.:             I chose "The Tropics in New York" by W.A. Domingo.  According to the article it is clear that Harlem became the center for the convergence of Negroes as well as other races in New York.  Of all of New York Harlem was far more densely populated that any other areas of New York. The Negroes from other part of the world had a harder time adjusting to the New York culture and the prejudices against colored folks.  They quickly became involved and almost joined teams with the American Negroes to combat lynching and other attacks.  Also in Harlem there was a widespread limitation on opportunity.  Where Negroes would be accustomed to doing manual labor using primarily their hands and body as their tools, they were now forced to try jobs that they though were once only for the white man.  This posed a problem when it came to finding work in Harlem.  All in all what can be taken from this article is that the “New Negro” did not have it easy in Harlem.  They faced many situations where they had to overcome adversity.  Living conditions were tight, jobs were hard to keep and other races posed prejudice problems that had to be dealt with on a daily basis.  Life for the New Negro in Harlem was not a walk in the park. 

Justin: In the article, Breaking Through, Harlem is described as a place surrounded by invisible bars and lines that is filled with personality and color. There are several different types of people who make up the ghetto known as the Harlem community. The author describes that the one way out of the ghetto is education. Careers are pursued in business, medicine, art, and other technical professions. On the other hand, there are a different group of black people who refuse to attempt to better their future through education. They are the ones who are acting in a misguided manner and setting a bad example for the rest of their race. During this time period, the black community looked up to people who could become the “first” of their race to do something. To them, it represents a conquering of a constant struggle that they have been fighting against for years. The author is quoted saying, “These achievements are the pride of the race; this business of reaching new heights is taken very seriously by the ghetto bound, for each is a milestone on the road of progress which leads to the goal of unrestricted opportunity.”

The author also acknowledges the fact that during this time (1925) white people were curious about what was going on in the ghetto. Christian societies, clinics, and health organizations were making an attempt to better the lives of the people living in these ghettos. In a way, this effort of white people to help those in need shows the breaking down of the race barrier that existed during this time. The author concludes the passage by addressing the constant struggle of the black community to try and escape the ghetto. Despite the limited success, some individuals do break the barriers of misunderstanding and ignorance to beat the odds and become truly successful.

Valerie: The poem that I have chosen comes from the "Jazz at Home" section of the poems.  I chose a poem by Langston Hughes called "The Dream Keeper."  You can use this poem as specific historical evidence about the "New Negro" by how it talks about how they have dreams and that in order to keep the dreams they have to protect themselves from the rest of the world.  This poem also says that it is ok to be a dreamer but one should know that they don't all always come true.

The article that I have chosen is called "Enter the New Negro" by Alain Locke.  This article was very interesting to me because it talks about how since there is now a "New Negro" the "Old Negro" seems more like a myth than an actual man.  The article then continues to talk about how the "New Negro" involves a new democracy in American culture.  "He is contributing his share to the new social understanding."  This shows how the "New Negro" wants to be more involved than the "Old Negro" would have been.

Jennifer:             The poem that I chose is entitled “Song” and was written by Langston Hughes.  In this short but powerful poem there is a call for action and resistance which exemplifies the “New Negro.”   The New Negro is one who does not take racism quietly and fights for their rights and takes a stand.  This mindset is illustrated in the final lines of the poem, “Open wide your arms to life, Whirl in the wind of pain and strife, Face the wall with the dark and closed gate beat with bare brown fists and wait.”  This poem can be studied as historical evidence of the New Negro given that it symbolizes a new era in the way in which African Americans viewed themselves and their place in society.  This poem illustrates the fact that the New Negro is ready for a dramatic change and is not afraid to instigate this change no matter how long or how difficult the road to independence and equality may be.  The poem is a call to action as well as a message to all African Americans; namely to continue the struggle for equality and to be steadfast and dedicated to this cause no matter what the consequences may be.     
            The article that I chose is entitled “The Making of Harlem” and was written by James Weldon Johnson.  In this article Johnson traces the history of Harlem itself as an important section of New York City and also relates how Harlem became a “Negro Community.”  Johnson explains how the outbreak of WWI was what truly transformed Harlem into such a prosperous sector of Manhattan.  During the war there was a critical shortage of labor and to fill end this shortage many blacks from the south migrated north to work, “Following the outbreak of the war in Europe Negro Harlem received a New and tremendous impetus. Because of the war thousands of aliens in the United States rushed back to their native lands to join the colors and immigration practically ceased.   The result was a critical shortage in labor.  This shortage was rapidly increased as the United States went more and more largely into the business of furnishing munitions and supplies to the warring countries.  To help meet this shortage of common labor Negroes were brought up from the South.”  As a consequence of this, many African Americans earned unprecedented wages and as such were able to purchase their own property.  African Americans thus purchased their own homes and businesses and as such a whole community was established.  Johnson goes on to make the case that Harlem will endure as a successful and prosperous African American community and as an essential sector of New York City for three reasons, “First, the language of Harlem is not alien; it is not Italian or Yiddish; it is English. Harlem talks American, reads American, and thinks American. Second, Harlem is not physically a "quarter." It is not a section cut off. It is merely a zone through which four main arteries of the city run. Third, the fact that there is little or no gang labor gives Harlem Negroes the opportunity for individual expansion and individual contacts with the life and spirit of New York.”   This article can be used as evidence of the “New Negro” given that it offers an account of the evolution of Harlem, which became the center of a renaissance in the African American community which occurred in the 20th century.  The Harlem Renaissance was one of the essential components which created the “New Negro” and by studying its history one can also learn of the evolution and emergence of the New Negro.            

Patrick:            
Poem:
“Dream Variation”- Langston Hughes
http://etext.virginia.edu/harlem/surgr664.jpg

            This poem gives historical evidence of the “new negro” because of the ideas presented by Hughes. The “new negro” began to question his status in society and became more active in questioning why things were the way they were. The “new negro” has been developing over time to become more knowledgeable about his surroundings and his past. He began to dream about possibilities for the future and being accepted in a society that has traditionally held him down. In Hughes’ poem, the narrator is thinking about a day in the future when he can go outside and simply enjoy the sunshine, without fear of being targeted because he is black. His awareness of a situation that would signify his approval into society, as simple as being outside enjoying the sunshine, shows how the “new negro” was becoming more aware of the steps needed to achieve that dream.

            Article:
“Enter the New Negro”- Alain Locke
http://etext.virginia.edu/harlem/LocEnteF.html

            This article is a historical representation of the “new negro” because of the recognition of the faults of the past and a clear idea of what steps should be taken in the future. He also acknowledges that a sort of ideological “revolution” is happening among the “new negro.”
-“For the younger generation is vibrant with a new psychology; the new spirit is awake in the masses, and under the very eyes of the professional observers is transforming what has been a perennial problem into the progressive phases of contemporary Negro life.”
            -The “new negro” is becoming more active in seeking equality and writing the wrongs they have become aware of in society. They are becoming more intelligent and capable of understanding comparisons from the past and future in an effort to better their own situation.

Alex P.:
I chose: Baptism by Claude Mckay

Into the furnace let me go alone;
Stay you without in terror of the heat.
I will go naked in--for thus ''tis sweet--
Into the weird depths of the hottest zone.
I will not quiver in the frailest bone,
You will not note a flicker of defeat;
My heart shall tremble not its fate to meet,
My mouth give utterance to any moan.
The yawning oven spits forth fiery spears;
Red aspish tongues shout wordlessly my name.
Desire destroys, consumes my mortal fears,
Transforming me into a shape of flame.
I will come out, back to your world of tears,
A stronger soul within a finer frame.

This relates to the New Negro because it talks about bringing new people into the world and by saying that there won’t be a flicker of defeat they are saying that they will forever stand up to what is right and they will never give up.


•       What article did you choose? How specifically can we use it as historical evidence about the "New Negro"?

I chose: Ambushed in the City: The Grim Side of Harlem By Winthrop D. Lane
This is a bout a woman who is colored and rides the subway on a daily basis and reads the paper to find the winning combination of numbers. She has been looking for "the numbers." The numbers she wanted were the day's totals of bank exchanges and bank balances. The stakes are high if she wins. She reaps 600 times what she wagers.