Alain Leroy Locke
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Alain LeRoy Locke (September 13, 1885 – June 9, 1954) was an American
writer A writer is a person who uses written words in different writing styles and techniques to communicate ideas. Writers produce different forms of literary art and creative writing such as novels, short stories, books, poetry, travelogues, p ...
, philosopher, educator, and patron of the arts. Distinguished in 1907 as the first African-American Rhodes Scholar, Locke became known as the philosophical architect —the acknowledged "Dean"— of the Harlem Renaissance. review of Jeffrey C. Stewart, ''The New Negro: The Life of Alain Locke'' (Oxford University Press, 2018) He is frequently included in listings of influential African Americans. On March 19, 1968, the Rev. Dr.
Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King Jr. (born Michael King Jr.; January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American Baptist minister and activist, one of the most prominent leaders in the civil rights movement from 1955 until his assassination in 1968 ...
proclaimed: "We're going to let our children know that the only philosophers that lived were not
Plato Plato ( ; grc-gre, Πλάτων ; 428/427 or 424/423 – 348/347 BC) was a Greek philosopher born in Athens during the Classical period in Ancient Greece. He founded the Platonist school of thought and the Academy, the first institution ...
and
Aristotle Aristotle (; grc-gre, Ἀριστοτέλης ''Aristotélēs'', ; 384–322 BC) was a Greek philosopher and polymath during the Classical period in Ancient Greece. Taught by Plato, he was the founder of the Peripatetic school of ph ...
, but W. E. B. Du Bois and Alain Locke came through the universe."


Early life and education

He was born Arthur Leroy Locke in
Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...
,
Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
, on September 13, 1885,Note: Locke always gave his year of birth as "1886", and many sources give 1886. He was, however, born in 1885. A note by Locke in the Alain Locke Papers (archived at
Howard University Howard University (Howard) is a Private university, private, University charter#Federal, federally chartered historically black research university in Washington, D.C. It is Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, classifie ...
), discovered by Christopher Buck, says why Locke represented the year of his birth as 1886 rather than 1885: "In the Alain Locke Papers, there is a note in Locke's handwriting that reads: 'Alain Leroy Locke Alan registered as Arthur (white Phila Vital Statistics owing prejudice of Quaker physician Isaac Smedley to answering question of race. rn 13 So. 19th Street, Philadelphia, Pa. Sunday between 10 and 11 A.M. September 13, 1885. Called Roy as a child Alain from 16 on. llegibleFirst born son. 2nd brother born 1889—lived 2 months. Named Arthur first selected for me.' ... As to why he represented his year of birth as 1886 rather than 1885, Locke may have wanted to avoid the embarrassment of having future biographers discover that he was registered as white on his birth certificate." Buck, Christopher
Alain Locke – Faith and Philosophy
" ''Studies in Bábí and Baháʼí Religions,'' Vol 18, Anthony A. Lee General Editor, pp. 11–12.
to parents Pliny Ishmael Locke (1850–1892) and Mary (née Hawkins) Locke (1853–1922), both of whom were descended from prominent families of free blacks. Called "Roy" as a boy, he was their only child. His father was the first black employee of the U.S. Postal Service, and his paternal grandfather taught at Philadelphia's
Institute for Colored Youth The Institute for Colored Youth was founded in 1837 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. It became the first high school for African-Americans in the United States, although there were schools that admitted African Americans preceding it ...
. His mother Mary was a teacher and inspired Locke's passion for education and literature. Mary's grandfather, Charles Shorter, fought as a soldier and was a hero in the
War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States, United States of America and its Indigenous peoples of the Americas, indigenous allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom ...
. At the age of 16, Locke chose to use the first name of "Alain". In 1902, Locke graduated from Central High School in
Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...
, second in his 107th class in the academic institution. He also attended
Philadelphia School of Pedagogy Central High School is a public high school in the LoganLogan Redevelopment Area ...
. In 1907, Locke graduated from
Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of high ...
with degrees in English and philosophy; he was honored as a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Society and recipient of the Bowdoin prize. That year he was the first African American to be selected as a Rhodes Scholar to the
University of Oxford , mottoeng = The Lord is my light , established = , endowment = £6.1 billion (including colleges) (2019) , budget = £2.145 billion (2019–20) , chancellor ...
(and the last to be selected until 1963, when
John Edgar Wideman John Edgar Wideman (born June 14, 1941) is an American novelist, short story writer, memoirist, and essayist. He was the first person to win the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction twice. His writing is known for experimental techniques and a focus o ...
and John Stanley Sanders, a future notable writer and politician, respectively, were selected). In the early 20th century, Rhodes selectors did not meet candidates in person, but there is evidence that at least some selectors knew that Locke was African-American. On arriving at Oxford, Locke was denied admission to several colleges. Several American Rhodes Scholars from the South refused to live in the same college or attend events with Locke. He was finally admitted to
Hertford College Hertford College ( ), previously known as Magdalen Hall, is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. It is located on Catte Street in the centre of Oxford, directly opposite the main gate to the Bodleian Library. The colle ...
, where he studied literature, philosophy, Greek, and Latin, from 1907–1910. Alongside his friend and fellow student
Pixley ka Isaka Seme Pixley ka Isaka Seme (c. 1881 – June 1951) was a South African lawyer and a founder and President of the African National Congress. Early life Seme was born the fourth son of Sinono Kuwana Seme in Durban, in what was then called the Colony of ...
, he was part of the Oxford Cosmopolitan Club, contributing to its first publication. In 1910, he attended the
University of Berlin Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (german: Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, abbreviated HU Berlin) is a German public research university in the central borough of Mitte in Berlin. It was established by Frederick William III on the initiative ...
, where he studied philosophy. Locke wrote from Oxford in 1910 that the "primary aim and obligation" of a Rhodes Scholar
"is to acquire at Oxford and abroad generally a liberal education, and to continue subsequently the
Rhodes Rhodes (; el, Ρόδος , translit=Ródos ) is the largest and the historical capital of the Dodecanese islands of Greece. Administratively, the island forms a separate municipality within the Rhodes regional unit, which is part of the S ...
mission f international understandingthroughout life and in his own country. If once more it should prove impossible for nations to understand one another as nations, then, as
Goethe Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (28 August 1749 – 22 March 1832) was a German poet, playwright, novelist, scientist, statesman, theatre director, and critic. His works include plays, poetry, literature, and aesthetic criticism, as well as tr ...
said, they must learn to tolerate each other as individuals".


Teaching and scholarship

Locke received an
assistant professor Assistant Professor is an academic rank just below the rank of an associate professor used in universities or colleges, mainly in the United States and Canada. Overview This position is generally taken after earning a doctoral degree A docto ...
ship in English at
Howard University Howard University (Howard) is a Private university, private, University charter#Federal, federally chartered historically black research university in Washington, D.C. It is Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, classifie ...
in 1912. While at Howard, he became a member of Phi Beta Sigma fraternity. Locke returned to Harvard in 1916 to work on his doctoral dissertation, ''The Problem of Classification in the Theory of Value''. In his thesis, he discusses the causes of opinions and social biases, and that these are not objectively true or false, and therefore not universal. Locke received his PhD in philosophy in 1918. Locke returned to Howard University as the chair of the department of philosophy. During this period, he began teaching the first classes on race relations. After working to gain equal pay for African-American and white faculty at the university, he was dismissed in 1925. Following the appointment in 1926 of Mordecai W. Johnson, the first African-American president of Howard, Locke was reinstated in 1928 at the university. Beginning in 1935, he returned to philosophy as a topic of his writing. He continued to teach generations of students at Howard until he retired in 1953. Locke Hall, on the Howard campus, is named in his honor. Among his prominent former students is actor
Ossie Davis Raiford Chatman "Ossie" Davis (December 18, 1917 – February 4, 2005) was an American actor, director, writer, and activist. He was married to Ruby Dee, with whom he frequently performed, until his death. He and his wife were named to the NAACP ...
, who said that Locke encouraged him to go to Harlem because of his interest in theatre. And he did. In addition to teaching philosophy, Locke promoted African-American artists, writers, and musicians. He encouraged them to explore Africa and its many cultures as inspiration for their works. He encouraged them to depict African and African-American subjects, and to draw on their history for subject material. The library resources built up by Dorothy B. Porter to support these studies included materials which he donated from his travels and contacts.


Harlem Renaissance and the "New Negro"

Locke was the guest editor of the March 1925 issue of the periodical '' Survey Graphic'', for a special edition titled "Harlem, Mecca of the New Negro": about Harlem and the Harlem Renaissance, which helped educate white readers about its flourishing culture. In December of that year, he expanded the issue into ''
The New Negro ''The New Negro: An Interpretation'' (1925) is an anthology of fiction, poetry, and essays on African and African-American art and literature edited by Alain Locke, who lived in Washington, DC, and taught at Howard University during the Harlem ...
'', a collection of writings by him and other African Americans, which would become one of his best-known works. A landmark in black literature (later acclaimed as the "first national book" of African America), it was an instant success. Locke contributed five essays: the "Foreword", "The New Negro", "Negro Youth Speaks", "The Negro Spirituals", and "The Legacy of Ancestral Arts". This book established his reputation as "a leading African-American literary critic and aesthete." Locke's philosophy of the New Negro was grounded in the concept of race-building; that race is not merely an issue of heredity but is more an issue of society and culture. He raised overall awareness of potential black equality; he said that no longer would blacks allow themselves to adjust or comply with unreasonable white requests. This idea was based on self-confidence and political awareness. Although in the past the laws regarding equality had been ignored without consequence by white America, Locke's philosophical idea of The New Negro allowed for fair treatment. Because this was an idea and not a law, people held its power. If they wanted this idea to flourish, they were the ones who would need to "enforce" it through their actions and overall points of view. While his own writing was sophisticated philosophy, and therefore not popularly accessible, he mentored other writers in the movement who would become more broadly known, such as Zora Neale Hurston. The "philosophical basis" of the Renaissance has since been widely recognized to originate from Locke.


Feud with Albert C. Barnes

One author whose work Locke edited for both ''Survey Graphic'' as well as ''The New Negro'' was art collector, critic, and theorist Albert Barnes. Barnes and Locke were connected in their shared views on the importance of Negro art in America. Barnes promulgated notions of the superiority of black art in terms of spirituality and emotion, owing to the collective suffering from which black artists draw to create their work. Locke argued for the primacy of craft objects and the visual tradition as being the greatest contributor of black art to the American canon. The commonalities between the two men's' stance on black art led Barnes to believe Locke was stealing his ideas, creating a rift between the two men. Locke touches on his feud with Barnes in his book ''The Negro in Art''.


Religious beliefs

Locke identified himself as a Bahá'í throughout the last half of his life (1918-1954). He declared his belief in Baháʼu'lláh in the year 1918. Due to the lack of an official enrollment system for the religion, the date when Locke converted to that faith is unverified. However, the National Baháʼí Archives discovered a " Baháʼí Historical Record" card that Locke completed in 1935 for a Baháʼí census from the National Spiritual Assembly. He was one of seven African-American members from the Washington, D.C. Baháʼí movement to complete the card. On the card, Locke wrote the year 1918 as the year he was accepted into the Baháʼí religion, and wrote Washington, D.C., as the place he was accepted. It was common to write to
ʻAbdu'l-Bahá ʻAbdu'l-Bahá (; Persian: ‎, 23 May 1844 – 28 November 1921), born ʻAbbás ( fa, عباس), was the eldest son of Baháʼu'lláh and served as head of the Baháʼí Faith from 1892 until 1921. ʻAbdu'l-Bahá was later canonized as the ...
to declare one's new faith, and Locke received a letter, or "tablet", from ʻAbdu'l-Bahá in return. When ʻAbdu'l-Bahá died in 1921, Locke enjoyed a close relationship with
Shoghi Effendi Shoghí Effendi (; 1 March 1897 – 4 November 1957) was the grandson and successor of ʻAbdu'l-Bahá, appointed to the role of Guardian of the Baháʼí Faith from 1921 until his death in 1957. He created a series of teaching plans that over ...
, then head of the Baháʼí Faith. Shoghi Effendi is reported to have said to Locke, "People as you, Mr. Gregory, Dr. Esslemont and some other dear souls are as rare as diamond." He is among some 40 African Americans known to have joined the religion during the ministry of ʻAbdu'l-Bahá before the leader's death in later 1921.


Sexual orientation

Locke was homosexual, and may have encouraged and supported other gay African Americans who were part of the Harlem Renaissance. Given the discriminatory laws against it, he was not fully open about his orientation. He referred to it as a point of " vulnerable/invulnerability", representing an area of both risk and strength.


Death, influence and legacy

After his retirement from Howard University in 1953, Locke moved to New York City. He suffered from heart disease. Following a six-week illness, he died at Mount Sinai Hospital on June 9, 1954. During his illness, he was cared for by his friend and
mentee Mentorship is the influence, guidance, or direction given by a mentor. A mentor is someone who teaches or gives help and advice to a less experienced and often younger person. In an organizational setting, a mentor influences the personal and p ...
, Margaret Just Butcher. Butcher used notes from Locke's unfinished work to write ''The Negro in American Culture'' (1956).


Journey of ashes

Locke was
cremated Cremation is a method of final disposition of a dead body through burning. Cremation may serve as a funeral or post-funeral rite and as an alternative to burial. In some countries, including India and Nepal, cremation on an open-air pyre i ...
, and his remains given to Dr. Arthur Fauset, Locke's close friend and executor of his estate. He was an anthropologist who was a major figure in the Harlem Renaissance. After Fauset died in 1983, and the remains were given to his friend, Reverend Sadie Mitchell, who ministered at African Episcopal Church of St. Thomas in
Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...
. Mitchell retained the ashes until the mid-1990s, when she asked Dr. J. Weldon Norris, a professor of music at
Howard University Howard University (Howard) is a Private university, private, University charter#Federal, federally chartered historically black research university in Washington, D.C. It is Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, classifie ...
, to take the ashes to the university. The ashes were held at Howard University's Moorland–Spingarn Research Center until 2007. That year they were discovered when two former Rhodes scholars were working on the Centennial of Locke's selection as a Rhodes Scholar. Concerned that the human remains were not properly cared for, the university transferred them to its W. Montague Cobb Research Laboratory, which had extensive experience handling human remains (and had worked on those from the African Burying Ground in New York). Locke's ashes, which had been stored in a plain paper bag in a simple round metal container, were transferred to a small funerary urn and locked in a safe. Howard University officials initially considered having Locke's ashes buried in a niche at Locke Hall on the Howard campus, as Langston Hughes's ashes had been interred in 1991 at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in New York City. But
Kurt Schmoke Kurt Lidell Schmoke (born December 1, 1949) is an American politician and lawyer who was the 47th mayor of Baltimore, Maryland, from 1987 to 1999, the first African American to be elected to the post. He is the current president of the University ...
, the university's legal counsel, was concerned about setting a precedent that might lead to too many people trying to gain burials at the university. After reviewing legal issues, university officials decided to bury the remains off-site. They thought to bury Locke beside his mother, Mary Hawkins Locke. But Howard officials quickly discovered a problem: She had been interred at
Columbian Harmony Cemetery Columbian Harmony Cemetery was an African-American cemetery that formerly existed at 9th Street NE and Rhode Island Avenue NE in Washington, D.C., in the United States. Constructed in 1859, it was the successor to the smaller Harmoneon Cemetery ...
in Washington, D.C., but that cemetery closed in 1959. Her remains and others from that cemetery were transferred to
National Harmony Memorial Park National Harmony Memorial Park is a private, secular cemetery located at 7101 Sheriff Road in Landover, Maryland, in the United States. Although racially integrated, most of the individuals interred there are African American. In 1960, the 37,000 ...
. (She and 37,000 other unclaimed remains from Columbian Harmony were buried in a mass grave, with no markers.) University officials eventually decided to bury Alain Locke's remains at historic
Congressional Cemetery The Congressional Cemetery, officially Washington Parish Burial Ground, is a historic and active cemetery located at 1801 E Street, SE, in Washington, D.C., on the west bank of the Anacostia River. It is the only American "cemetery of national m ...
in Washington, DC. Former African-American Rhodes Scholars raised $8,000 to purchase a burial plot there. Locke was interred at Congressional Cemetery on September 13, 2014. His tombstone reads:
1885–1954
Herald of the Harlem Renaissance
Exponent of Cultural Pluralism
On the back of the headstone is a nine-pointed Baháʼí star (representing Locke's religious beliefs); a
Zimbabwe Bird The stone-carved Zimbabwe Bird is the national emblem of Zimbabwe, appearing on the national flags and coats of arms of both Zimbabwe and Rhodesia, as well as on Rhodesian dollar, banknotes and coins (first on the Coins of the Rhodesian pound, Rho ...
, emblem of the nation Locke adopted as a Rhodes Scholar; a
lambda Lambda (}, ''lám(b)da'') is the 11th letter of the Greek alphabet, representing the voiced alveolar lateral approximant . In the system of Greek numerals, lambda has a value of 30. Lambda is derived from the Phoenician Lamed . Lambda gave ri ...
, symbol of the gay rights movement; and the logo of Phi Beta Sigma, the fraternity Locke joined. In the center of these four symbols is an
Art Deco Art Deco, short for the French ''Arts Décoratifs'', and sometimes just called Deco, is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design, that first appeared in France in the 1910s (just before World War I), and flourished in the Unite ...
representation of an African woman's face set against the rays of the sun. This image is a simplified version of the bookplate that Harlem Renaissance painter Aaron Douglas designed for Locke. Below the bookplate image are the words "Teneo te, Africa" ("I hold you, my Africa"). This represented Locke's belief that African Americans needed to study African culture to enlarge their sense of self.


Influence, legacy and honors

*At Howard University, the main building for the College of Arts and Sciences is dedicated to his legacy, and was named "Alain Locke Hall." His personal and literary papers are held within the manuscript department in the university's Moorland-Spingarn Research Center. *Locke's former residence on R Street NW in Washington's Logan Circle neighborhood is marked with a historical plaque. *In 2002, scholar
Molefi Kete Asante Molefi Kete Asante ( ; born Arthur Lee Smith Jr.; August 14, 1942) is an American professor and philosopher. He is a leading figure in the fields of African-American studies, African studies, and communication studies. He is currently professo ...
listed Locke among his '' 100 Greatest African Americans''. Similarly, Columbus Salley's book, ''The Black 100,'' included Locke, ranking him as the 36th most influential African-American. *In 2019, Jeffrey Stewart won a Pulitzer Prize in Biography for ''The New Negro: the Life of Alain Locke''. *In 2020, Rhodes Scholar and attorney Dr. Ann Olivarius wrote a guest column in
The Financial Times The ''Financial Times'' (''FT'') is a British daily newspaper printed in broadsheet and published digitally that focuses on business and economic current affairs. Based in London, England, the paper is owned by a Japanese holding company, Nik ...
suggesting that statues of Locke and Zambian civil-rights activist Lucy Banda-Sichone replace the statue of Cecil Rhodes at
Oriel College Oriel College () is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in Oxford, England. Located in Oriel Square, the college has the distinction of being the oldest royal foundation in Oxford (a title formerly claimed by University College, w ...
, Oxford University. Schools named after Locke include: * Alain L. Locke Elementary School PS 208 in South Harlem * The
Locke High School Alain Leroy Locke College Preparatory Academy (formerly Locke High School) is a Title 1 co-educational charter high school located in Los Angeles, California, United States, and is part of the Los Angeles Unified School District/ Green Dot Public ...
in Los Angeles * The Alain Locke Public School, an elementary school in
West Philadelphia West Philadelphia, nicknamed West Philly, is a section of the city of Philadelphia. Alhough there are no officially defined boundaries, it is generally considered to reach from the western shore of the Schuylkill River, to City Avenue to the nort ...
* Alain Locke Charter Academy in Chicago * Alain Locke Elementary School in Gary, Indiana


Major works

In addition to the books listed below, Locke edited the " Bronze Booklet" series, a set of eight volumes published in the 1930s by Associates in Negro Folk Education. He regularly published reviews of poetry and literature by African Americans in journals such as ''
Opportunity Opportunity may refer to: Places * Opportunity, Montana, an unincorporated community, United States * Opportunity, Nebraska, an unincorporated community, United States * Opportunity, Washington, a former census-designated place, United States * ...
'' and ''
Phylon ''Phylon'' (subtitle: ''the Clark Atlanta University Review of Race and Culture'') is a semi-annual peer-reviewed academic journal covering culture in the United States from an African-American perspective. It was established in 1940 by W. E. B. Du ...
''. His works include: * '' The New Negro: An Interpretation''. New York: Albert and Charles Boni, 1925. * ''Harlem: Mecca of the New Negro''. ''Survey Graphic'' 6.6 (March 1, 1925). * ''When Peoples Meet: A Study of Race and Culture Contacts''. Alain Locke and Bernhard J. Stern (eds). New York: Committee on Workshops,
Progressive Education Association The Progressive Education Association was a group dedicated to the spread of progressive education in American public schools from 1919 to 1955. The group focused on pedagogy in elementary schools through the twenties. The group turned towards p ...
, 1942. * ''The Philosophy of Alain Locke: Harlem Renaissance and Beyond''. Edited by Leonard Harris. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1989. * ''Race Contacts and Interracial Relations: Lectures of the Theory and Practice of Race''. Washington, D.C.: Howard University Press, 1916. Reprinted, edited by Jeffery C. Stewart. Washington: Howard University Press, 1992. * ''Negro Art Past and Present''. Washington: Associates in Negro Folk Education, 1936 (Bronze Booklet No. 3). * ''The Negro and His Music''. Washington: Associates in Negro Folk Education, 1936 (Bronze Booklet No. 2). * "The Negro in the Three Americas". ''Journal of Negro Education'' 14 (Winter 1944): 7–18. * "Negro Spirituals". ''Freedom: A Concert in Celebration of the 75th Anniversary of the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States'' (1940). Compact disc. New York: Bridge, 2002. Audio (1:14). * "Spirituals" (1940). ''The Critical Temper of Alain Locke: A Selection of His Essays on Art and Culture''. Edited by Jeffrey C. Stewart. New York and London: Garland, 1983, pp. 123–26. * ''The New Negro: An Interpretation''. New York: Arno Press, 1925. * ''Four Negro Poets''. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1927. * ''Plays of Negro Life: a Source-Book of Native American Drama''. New York: Harper and Brothers, 1927. * ''A Decade of Negro Self-Expression''. Charlottesville, Virginia, 1928. * ''The Negro in America''. Chicago: American Library Association, 1933. * ''Negro Art – Past and Present''. Washington, D.C.: Associates in Negro Folk Education, 1936. * ''The Negro and His Music''. Washington, D.C.: Associates in Negro Folk Education, 1936; also New York: Kennikat Press, 1936. * ''The Negro in Art: A Pictorial Record of the Negro Artist and of the Negro Theme in Art''. Washington, D.C.: Associates in Negro Folk Education, 1940; also New York: Hacker Art Books, 1940. * "A Collection of Congo Art". ''Arts'' 2 (February 1927): 60–70. * "Harlem: Dark Weather-vane". ''Survey Graphic'' 25 (August 1936): 457–462, 493–495. * "The Negro and the American Stage". ''Theatre Arts Monthly'' 10 (February 1926): 112–120. * "The Negro in Art". ''Christian Education'' 13 (November 1931): 210–220. * "Negro Speaks for Himself". ''The Survey'' 52 (April 15, 1924): 71–72. * "The Negro's Contribution to American Art and Literature". ''The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science'' 140 (November 1928): 234–247. * "The Negro's Contribution to American Culture". ''Journal of Negro Education'' 8 (July 1939): 521–529. * "A Note on African Art". ''Opportunity'' 2 (May 1924): 134–138. * "Our Little Renaissance". ''Ebony and Topaz'', edited by Charles S. Johnson. New York: National Urban League, 1927. * "Steps Towards the Negro Theatre". ''Crisis'' 25 (December 1922): 66–68. * ''The Problem of Classification in the Theory of Value: or an Outline of a Genetic System of Values''. PhD dissertation: Harvard, 1917. * "Locke, Alain". utobiographical sketch.''Twentieth Century Authors''. Edited by Stanley Kunitz and Howard Haycroft. New York: 1942, p. 837. * "The Negro Group". ''Group Relations and Group Antagonisms''. Edited by Robert M. MacIver. New York: Institute for Religious Studies, 1943. * ''World View on Race and Democracy: A Study Guide in Human Group Relations''. Chicago: American Library Association, 1943. * ''Le Rôle du nègre dans la culture des Amériques''. Port-au-Prince: Haiti Imprimerie de l'état, 1943. * "Values and Imperatives". In Sidney Hook and Horace M. Kallen (eds), ''American Philosophy, Today and Tomorrow''. New York: Lee Furman, 1935, pp. 312–33. Reprinted: Freeport, NY: Books for Libraries Press, 1968; Harris, ''The Philosophy of Alain Locke'', 31–50. * "Pluralism and Ideological Peace". In Milton R. Konvitz and Sidney Hook (eds), ''Freedom and Experience: Essays Presented to Horace M. Kallen''. Ithaca: New School for Research and Cornell University Press, 1947, pp. 63–69. * "Cultural Relativism and Ideological Peace". In Lyman Bryson, Louis Finfelstein, and R. M. MacIver (eds), ''Approaches to World Peace''. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1944, pp. 609–618. Reprinted in ''The Philosophy of Alain Locke'', 67–78. * "Pluralism and Intellectual Democracy". ''Conference on Science, Philosophy and Religion, Second Symposium''. New York: Conference on Science, Philosophy and Religion, 1942, pp. 196–212. Reprinted in ''The Philosophy of Alain Locke'', 51–66. * "The Unfinished Business of Democracy". ''Survey Graphic'' 31 (November 1942): 455–61. * "Democracy Faces a World Order". ''Harvard Educational Review'' 12.2 (March 1942): 121–28. * "The Moral Imperatives for World Order". ''Summary of Proceedings, Institute of International Relations, Mills College, Oakland, CA, June 18–28, 1944'', 19–20. Reprinted in ''The Philosophy of Alain Locke'', 143, 151–152. * "Major Prophet of Democracy". Review of ''Race and Democratic Society'' by Franz Boas. ''Journal of Negro Education'' 15.2 (Spring 1946): 191–92. * "Ballad for Democracy". ''Opportunity: Journal of Negro Life'' 18:8 (August 1940): 228–29. * ''Three Corollaries of Cultural Relativism''. Proceedings of the Second Conference on the Scientific and the Democratic Faith. New York, 1941. * "Reason and Race". ''Phylon'' 8:1 (1947): 17–27. Reprinted in Jeffrey C. Stewart, ed. ''The Critical Temper of Alain Locke: A Selection of His Essays on Art and Culture''. New York and London: Garland, 1983, pp. 319–27. * "Values That Matter". Review of ''The Realms of Value'', by Ralph Barton Perry. ''Key Reporter'' 19.3 (1954): 4. * "Is There a Basis for Spiritual Unity in the World Today?" ''Town Meeting: Bulletin of America's Town Meeting on the Air'' 8.5 (June 1, 1942): 3–12. * "Unity through Diversity: A Baháʼí Principle". ''The Baháʼí World: A Biennial International Record'', Vol. IV, 1930–1932. Wilmette: Baháʼí Publishing Trust, 1989 933 Reprinted in Locke 1989, 133–138. Note: Leonard Harris' reference (Locke 1989, 133 n.) should be amended to read, Volume IV, 1930–1932 (not "V, 1932–1934"). * "Lessons in World Crisis". ''The Baháʼí World: A Biennial International Record'', Vol. IX, 1940–1944. Wilmette: Baháʼí Publishing Trust, 1945. Reprint, Wilmette: Baháʼí Publishing Trust, 1980 945 * "The Orientation of Hope". ''The Baháʼí World: A Biennial International Record'', Vol. V, 1932–1934. Wilmette: Baháʼí Publishing Trust, 1936. Reprint in Locke 1989, 129–132. Note: Leonard Harris' reference (Locke 1989, 129 n.) should be amended to read, "Volume V, 1932–1934" (not "Volume IV, 1930–1932"). * "A Baháʼí Inter-Racial Conference". ''The Baháʼí Magazine (Star of the West)'', 18.10 (January 1928): 315–16. * "Educator and Publicist", ''Star of the West'' 22.8 (November 1931), 254–55. Obituary of George William Cook aha'i 1855–1931. * "Impressions of Haifa". ppreciation of Baha'i leader, Shoghi Effendi, whom Locke met during his first of two Baha'i pilgrimages to Haifa, Palestine (now Israel) ''Star of the West'' 15.1 (1924): 13–14; Alaine Locke, "Impressions of Haifa", in ''Baháʼí Year Book'', Vol. One, April 1925 – April 1926, comp. National Spiritual Assembly of the Baháʼís of the United States and Canada (New York: Baháʼí Publishing Committee, 1926), 81, 83; Alaine Locke, "Impressions of Haifa", in ''The Baháʼí World: A Biennial International Record'', Vol. II, April 1926 – April 1928, comp. National Spiritual Assembly of the Baháʼís of the United States and Canada (New York: Baháʼí Publishing Committee, 1928; reprint, Wilmette: Baháʼí Publishing Trust, 1980), 125, 127; Alain Locke, "Impressions of Haifa", in ''The Baháʼí World: A Biennial International Record'', Vol. III, April 1928 – April 1930, comp. National Spiritual Assembly of the Baháʼís of the United States and Canada (New York: Baháʼí Publishing Committee, 1930; reprint, Wilmette: Baháʼí Publishing Trust, 1980), 280, 282. * "Minorities and the Social Mind". ''Progressive Education'' 12 (March 1935): 141–50. * ''The High Cost of Prejudice''. ''Forum'' 78 (December 1927). * ''The Negro Poets of the United States''. Anthology of Magazine Verse 1926 and Yearbook of American Poetry. Sesquicentennial edition. Ed. William S. Braithwaite. Boston: B.J. Brimmer, 1926, pp. 143–151. * ''The Critical Temper of Alain Locke: A Selection of His Essays on Art and Culture''. Edited by Jeffrey C. Stewart. New York and London: Garland, 1983, pp. 43–45. * ''Plays of Negro Life: A Source-Book of Native American Drama''. Alain Locke and Montgomery Davis (eds). New York and Evanston: Harper and Row, 1927. "Decorations and Illustrations by Aaron Douglas". * "Impressions of Luxor". ''The Howard Alumnus'' 2.4 (May 1924): 74–78.


Posthumous works

Alain Locke's previously unpublished, posthumous works include: Locke, Alain. "The Moon Maiden" and "Alain Locke in His Own Words: Three Essays". ''World Order'' 36.3 (2005): 37–48
Edited, introduced and annotated by Christopher Buck and Betty J. Fisher.
Four previously unpublished works by Alain Locke: * "The Moon Maiden" (37) love poem for a white woman who left him * "The Gospel for the Twentieth Century" (39–42); * "Peace between Black and White in the United States" (42–45); * "Five Phases of Democracy" (45–48). Locke, Alain. "Alain Locke: Four Talks Redefining Democracy, Education, and World Citizenship"
Edited, introduced and annotated by Christopher Buck and Betty J. Fisher. World Order 38.3 (2006/2007): 21–41.
Four previously unpublished speeches/essays by Alain Locke: * "The Preservation of the Democratic Ideal" (1938 or 1939); * "Stretching Our Social Mind" (1944); * "On Becoming World Citizens" (1946); * "Creative Democracy" (1946 or 1947).


See also

* Harlem Renaissance * American philosophy *
List of American philosophers This is a list of American philosophers; of philosophers who are either from, or spent many productive years of their lives in the United States. {, border="0" style="margin:auto;" class="toccolours" , - ! {{MediaWiki:Toc , - , style="text-al ...
*
Leonard Harris Leonard Harris or Len Harris may refer to: * Len Harris (cinematographer) (1916–1995), British cinematographer * Len Harris (cricketer) (1934–2006), West Indies cricketer * Len Harris (footballer) (1924–1995), Australian rules footballer * ...
* Jeffrey C. Stewart *'' The New Negro: The Life of Alain Locke''


Further reading

* Adamson, Peter and Jeffers, Chike.
Freedom through Art: Alain Locke
', History of Africana Philosophy Podcast, Episode 78, 13 June 2021. * Akam, Everett. "Just One African American on the Current Rhodes Scholarship List". ''The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education'' 30:1 (2000): 58–59. * Buck, Christopher.
Alain Locke: Faith and Philosophy
'' Los Angeles: Kalimat Press, 2005. * Buck, Christopher. "Alain Locke: Race Leader, Social Philosopher, Baháʼí Pluralist". ''World Order'' 36.3 (2005): 7–36. * Buck, Christopher. "Alain Locke in His Own Words: Three Essays". ''World Order'' 36.3 (2005): 37–48. * Buck, Christopher. "Alain Locke". ''American Writers: A Collection of Literary Biographies. Supplement XIV''. Edited by Jay Parini. Farmington Hills, Michigan: Scribner's Reference/The Gale Group, 2004. 195–219. * Buck, Christopher and Betty J. Fisher. "Alain Locke: Four Talks Redefining Democracy, Education, and World Citizenship. Edited and introduced by Christopher Buck and Betty J. Fisher. ''World Order'' 38.3 (2006/2007): 21–41. * Buck, Christopher. "Rare Film Clip of Alain Locke in Washington, D.C. (1937)" * Buck, Christopher. "Rare Film Clip of Alain Locke at Howard University (1937)" * Buck, Christopher. "Rare Film Clip of Alain Locke at Harmon Art Exhibit (1933)" * Buck, Christopher. "Alain Locke: 'Race Amity' and the Baháʼí Faith". Alain Locke Centenary Program. Association of American Rhodes Scholars. Howard University, Washington DC (September 24, 2007). * Butcher, Margaret J. ''The Negro in American Culture: Based on Materials Left by Alain Locke'', Knopf, 1956. * Cain, Rudolph A. "Alain Leroy Locke: Crusader and Advocate for the Education of African American Adults". ''The Journal of Negro Education'' 64:1 (1995): 87–99. * Charles, John C. "What Was Africa to Him? Alain Locke, Cultural Nationalism, and the Rhetoric of Empire during the New Negro Renaissance." in Tarver, Australia and Barnes, Paula C. eds
''New Voices on the Harlem Renaissance: Essays on Race, Gender, and Literary Discourse''
Madison, NJ: Fairleigh Dickinson UP, 2005. * Crane, Clare Bloodgood. ''Alain Locke and the Negro Renaissance'' (thesis), University of California, San Diego, 1971. * Du Bois, W. E. B. "The Younger Literary Movement". ''Crisis'' 28 (February 1924), pp. 161–163. * Eze, Chielozona. ''The Dilemma of Ethnic Identity: Alain Locke's Vision of Transcultural Societies.'' Lewiston, New York: Edwin Mellen Press, 2005. * Harris, L. and Charles Molesworth. ''Alain Locke: Biography of a Philosopher''. Chicago:
University of Chicago Press The University of Chicago Press is the largest and one of the oldest university presses in the United States. It is operated by the University of Chicago and publishes a wide variety of academic titles, including ''The Chicago Manual of Style'', ...
, 2008. * Harris, Leonard, ed. ''The Philosophy of Alain Locke: Harlem Renaissance and Beyond.'' Philadelphia:
Temple University Press Temple University Press is a university press founded in 1969 that is part of Temple University (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania). It is one of thirteen publishers to participate in the Knowledge Unlatched pilot, a global library consortium approach ...
, 1989. * Harris, Leonard, ed. ''The Critical Pragmatism of Alain Locke: A Reader on Value Theory, Aesthetics, Community, Culture, Race, and Education.'' Lanham, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield, 1999. * Holmes, Eugene C. "Alain Leroy Locke: A Sketch". ''The Phylon Quarterly'' 20:1 (1994): 82–89. * Linnemann, Russell J., ed. ''Alain Locke: Reflections on a Modern Renaissance Man.'' Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1982. *
Donald Markwell Donald John Markwell (born 19 April 1959) is an Australian social scientist, who has been described as a "renowned Australian educational reformer". He was appointed Head of St Mark's College, Adelaide, from November 2019. He was Senior Adviser ...
, ''"Instincts to Lead": On Leadership, Peace, and Education'', Connor Court. * Maus, Derek C
Entry on Alain Locke
in ''Advocates and Activists Between the Wars,'' edited by David G. Izzo. West Cornwall, CT: Locust Hill Press, 2003. * Molesworth, Charles, ed. ''The Collected Works of Alain Locke''. Oxford University Press, 2012. With an introduction by Henry Louis Gates, Jr. *Ostrom, Hans. "Alain Locke," in
Hans Ostrom Hans Ansgar Ostrom (born January 29, 1954) is an American professor, writer, editor, and scholar. Ostrom is a professor of African American Studies and English the University of Puget Sound (1983–present), where he teaches courses on African-A ...
and J. David Macey (eds), ''The Greenwood Encyclopedia of African American Literature,'' Westport, CT: Greenwood Publishers, 2005. Volume III, 988–989. * Posnock, Ross. "Black Is Brilliant", =''The New Republic'', April 15, 2009 * Sellers, Frances Stead. "The 60-year journey of the ashes of Alain Locke, father of the Harlem Renaissance", ''The Washington Post'', September 12, 2014. * Stewart, Jeffrey C., ed. ''The Critical Temper of Alain Locke.'' Garland, 1983. * Stewart, Jeffrey C. "Alain Leroy Locke at Oxford: The First African-American Rhodes Scholar". ''The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education'' 31:1 (2001): 112–117. * Stewart, Jeffrey C. "The New Negro: The Life of Alain Locke." Oxford University Press, 2018 * Washington, Johnny. ''Alain Locke and Philosophy: A Quest for Cultural Pluralism.'' Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press, 1986. * Washington, Johnny. ''A Journey into the Philosophy of Alain Locke.'' Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press, 1994. * Zoeller, Jack. "Alain Locke at Oxford: Race and the Rhodes Scholarships," ''The American Oxonian'', Vol. XCIV, No. 2 (Spring 2007). * ''Africa Within'' * ''The Negro and His Music: Negro Art: Past and Present.'' New York: Arno Press, 1969.


References


External links

* * * * * *
Making History: Christian Cole, Alain Locke and Oscar Wilde at Oxford
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