Alain L. Locke, in his famous 1925 anthology "The New Negro", declared that 'the pulse of the Negro world has begun to beat in Harlem'. The first biography of this extraordinarily gifted philosopher and writer, Alain L. Locke narrates the untold story of his profound impact on twentieth-century America's cultural and intellectual life. The heart of this narrative illuminates Locke's heady years in 1920s New York City and his forty-year career at Howard University, where he helped spearhead the adult education movement of the 1930s and wrote on topics ranging from the philosophy of value to the theory of democracy.

About the Author
Leonard Harris is professor of philosophy at Purdue University. Charles Molesworth is professor of English at Queens College in New York.

Reviews
"The current neglect of Alain Locke should not make us skeptical of the claim made by [Harris and Molesworth], who call him 'the most influential African American intellectual born between W. E. B. Du Bois and Martin Luther King, Jr.' They are right." - New Republic "This is the definitive biography of the towering cultural critic and pioneering Afro-American philosopher Alain Locke. The intellectual subtlety and meticulous work of Leonard Harris and Charles Molesworth forever puts Locke on our academic radar screen!" - Cornel West "A superb, eye-opening biography.... Why has it taken so long for a definitive biography of Locke to appear, when works on comparable black intellectuals abound? It's a backstory that sheds light on a practical truth: Fascinating subjects for biographies can be the most difficult to take on." - Carlin Romano, "Philadelphia Inquirer"



Book Information
ISBN 9780226317779
Author Leonard Harris
Format Paperback
Page Count 448
Imprint University of Chicago Press
Publisher The University of Chicago Press
Weight(grams) 680g
Dimensions(mm) 23mm * 16mm * 3mm