What does Alain Locke Mean when he says, "The day of 'aunties.' 'uncles,' and 'mammies' is equally gone."? Why does he say this?
What I think Alain Locke is trying to say by the statement that "The day of 'aunties,' 'uncles,' and 'mammies' is equally gone" is that the use of these terms by African Americans is over. At this point in history the US is going through World War I and the Great Migration. If African Americans want to find work, in the North, they need to become part of the main stream of society.
The use of these terms has a tendency for the time to show a lower education level of the people that are using these terms. I believe that the reason that he said this statement is to let African Americans know that if they move from the South to the North they need to try to fit in with white society. In white society at the time these terms were used frequently to demean African Americans. It was a way for poorer whites to show they were better than the African Americans that were moving into urban areas at the time.
What I think Locke was also trying to say is that African Americans are moving into areas that should be more tolerant because of the other immigrants. Also that African Americans should not allow the use of these degrading statements to cloud their personal dreams of a better life in the North. Another point that I believe Locke was expressing that the North would allow for social and economic freedom, which no person based on the color of their skin can take away. Or another way of looking at the statement made by Locke is that he is trying to encourage African Americans to pursue their goals and not allow someone to put them or their dream of having a better life down with the use of derogatory comments.
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Very well done how you connected the reading to other historical event going on and not just focusing on one thing and just what was in the reading.
ReplyDeleteMegan,
ReplyDeleteHe's not talking about African American use of these terms, per se, but of white Americans' use of the terms and the stereotypes such terms imply--subservience, submissiveness, shame. He's saying those days are over, evidenced by the proud, resistant "New Negro" and movements like the Harlem Renaissance
I think you got the right idea, except that, attached to those terms are the actual degrading perception of blacks before the "new negro" came about.
ReplyDeleteI don't think he was saying they should try and "fit in" to the "white society" they were moving into. I think he wanted them to stand out above everyone else, and be better than some thought they would ever be.
ReplyDeleteI think you had more of the right idea towards the end when you talked about encouraging African Americans to pursue their goals and such. I also disagree about his idea being that they move north to try to fit in, but more that they fight through the barriers and break free of the submissive, lesser, weaker stereotypes.
ReplyDeleteI didn't even consider what you said in the last paragraph. I think that his view of immigration in the United States is accurate. I think that he wanted African Americans to realize they aren't the only ones who were coming into this country and they should not be treated any different than any other citizen because they are all here for the same dream.
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