In the Crisis in 1926, W. E. B. DuBois staged a forum in which leading thinkers debated the question: “The New Negro in Art: How Shall He Be Portrayed?”
For this Friday’s Open Mic discussion, I’ve assigned a range of short essays that offer differ positions in relation to this debate. As you read them, think about which position you most identify or agree with.
In keeping with our theme of “Harlem Renaissance, then and now,” I’d like to add to our discussion a newspaper article that appeared recently in the Charlotte Observer. The article discusses an photograph of Davidson alum Braxton Winston, which became an iconic image of the Charlotte protests over the police shooting of Keith Lamont Scott in September 2016. The article raises the question: the African American Man in Media: How Shall He Be Portrayed? Read the article and think about the difference between how the same question played out a century ago and how it’s being addressed today.
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