The New Negro: The Life of Alain Locke

Jeffrey C. Stewart's biography chronicles the life of Alain Locke, the first African-American Rhodes Scholar and intellectual architect of the Harlem Renaissance. The book won both the 2018 National Book Award for Nonfiction and the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for Biography. Stewart traces Locke's path from his Philadelphia upbringing through his groundbreaking academic achievements at Harvard and Oxford, to his emergence as a pivotal cultural figure in 1920s Harlem. The narrative follows his relationships with and influence on major artists and writers of the era, including Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston. The biography documents Locke's navigation of multiple identities as a gay Black intellectual in early 20th century America. His work as an educator at Howard University and his role in shaping African American cultural expression form central elements of the story. This comprehensive work examines the intersection of race, sexuality, and intellectual life in America while exploring themes of cultural identity and artistic freedom. The book restores Locke's crucial legacy as a champion of Black culture and modernist thought.

Readers appreciate the depth of research and detail in Stewart's biography, with many noting it illuminates Locke's complex personal life alongside his intellectual contributions. Several reviews highlight the book's exploration of Locke's experience as a gay Black man in early 20th century academia. Positives: - Clear connections between Locke's life events and his philosophical development - Strong coverage of the Harlem Renaissance period - Inclusion of previously unpublished letters and documents Negatives: - Length (932 pages) feels excessive to some readers - First 200 pages move slowly according to multiple reviewers - Some find the writing style too academic Ratings: Goodreads: 4.39/5 (130 ratings) Amazon: 4.7/5 (86 ratings) Notable reader comment: "Stewart's thorough research brings Locke to life, but the biography could have achieved the same impact with more concise presentation" - Goodreads reviewer The book won the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for Biography, with 92% of online reviewers rating it 4 stars or higher.

W.E.B. Du Bois: Biography of a Race by David Levering Lewis This biography chronicles Du Bois's role in shaping African American intellectual thought and civil rights during the same era as Locke.

Walking with the Wind by John Lewis This memoir illuminates the intersection of civil rights activism and intellectual leadership in Black America through Lewis's experiences.

Up From History: The Life of Booker T. Washington by Robert J. Norrell This biography examines Washington's influence on Black education and cultural development in the period preceding Locke's rise.

Carter G. Woodson: A Life in Black History by Jacqueline Goggin This work traces Woodson's path as a scholar and institution builder who, like Locke, shaped the study of Black culture and history.

The African American Century by Henry Louis Gates Jr. and Cornel West This collection presents biographical portraits of influential Black intellectuals and artists who transformed American culture during Locke's lifetime and beyond.

🔹 Alain Locke's collection "The New Negro" (1925) helped establish the term "Harlem Renaissance" and became the movement's defining text, earning him the nickname "Father of the Harlem Renaissance." 🔹 The biography won both the 2018 National Book Award for Nonfiction and the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for Biography, making it one of the most acclaimed biographical works of the decade. 🔹 As the first African-American Rhodes Scholar (1907), Locke faced significant discrimination at Oxford University, with several colleges refusing to admit him before he was finally accepted at Hertford College. 🔹 Author Jeffrey C. Stewart spent more than a decade researching and writing this biography, accessing previously untapped archives and conducting extensive interviews with people who knew Locke. 🔹 During his tenure at Howard University, Locke mentored a generation of influential Black artists and writers, including Zora Neale Hurston and Langston Hughes, while keeping his sexual orientation private in an era of intense homophobia.