143 | Alain Locke: The Search for a Black Modern Aesthetic

In this episode, we discuss the aesthetic philosophy of the so-called “Dean of the Harlem Renaissance”, Alain Locke. Locke thought art had a central role to play in the social emancipation of Black Americans. It is through art that the social consciousness of society can mature into becoming genuinely pluralist. However, not just any art will do. We focus on why he insists there must be a strict separation between art and propaganda, how he thought poetry and drama could develop the cul...