Attributes Of A New Negro
The defining attributes of the “New Negro” is that they are independent thinkers. The New Negro can make better choices on political, social, and economic issues. The New Negro demands political equality. They are not easily bribed for a political vote as would the “Old Negro.” The New Negro demands a better standard of living. This includes higher pay and shorter work days. It also means that the New Negro has become a consumer of goods. In society, the New Negro stands for social equality.
The New Negro also has a new self-respect and self-dependence. This differs from previous years because Negroes used to be thought of as charity cases in which they expected handouts. The New Negro are now owning their own communities and they have taken it upon themselves to become leaders. Previously, they depended on others to take up the leadership roles whether they were black or white. There is a new individuality within the race.
The New Negro has shifted the Negro population as well. Previously, the Negro population was predominantly in the Southern states. This was no longer the case for the New Negro whose population migration shifted to the North and Midwest. Not only did the New Negro migrate, but they have also moved to cities. They were no longer agriculturalists. The New Negro settled in cities and they became an integral part of the industrial practices which benefited the growing cities.
The “Old Negro” was caught in a system in which he was not able to get across what he had to say. The Old Negro was enslaved, whereas now they are free people. Alain Locke describes the Old Negro as “mythic creatures of moral debate and historical controversy.” The Old Negro included figures such as “Uncle Tom”, a term that referred to an African American man who was subservient to White authority figures. Similarly, for women, it was the “Mammy” character, a portrayal within a narrative framework or imagery of an African American domestic servant who is portrayed as...
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