Journal #25

Du Bois's "Criteria of Negro Art" discusses the value of Negro art and the way that it has been accepted into American culture. The work of blacks has always been highly criticized and often been called inferior. Du Bois proposes that the only solution to this is to act as if there is no color line. After years and years of suppressing the true Negro talent, it is tragic to imagine how many artistic geniuses have been silenced simply because of skin color. African Americans were denied the right to learn their crafts. White America has stifled the efforts of many black artists which poses the question, is the only surviving Negro image the one that was supported by White America? There were and still are many forms of Negro art that have survived racial discrimination, but they may not have had the recognition or spotlight that they deserved. There is no telling how many African American art forms have been created and shut down before the Civil Rights Movement. It is the duty of Black America to preserve what they still have and to make known the creations that have been overlooked in the past.

"Blue Print" provides an overview to black literature and the criticism that it underwent in the early years. White critics didn't offer blacks any serious criticism, most were simply astonished that they could write at all. The stereotypes were heavily ingrained into most white critics and this is why they had no real expectations for any African American literature. Wright questions whether or not Negroes take advantage of their minority status because their situations are unique. I think that in most cases the answer is yes, just like every writer strives to be set apart from the rest, to create an original work. We all have to take advantage of our differences in order to provide something fresh to the audience, otherwise all of literature would be monotonous and boring. There is no harm in taking advantage of culture unless the situation is fabricated. People care about what is true and real to the author, and if the author does not include his/her culture in the material, his/her identity can be lost and lose the reader's attention as well. Negroes have a rich culture centering around church, folklore and their struggles for basic human rights.

Works Cited

Du Bois,W.E.B. "Criteria for Negro Art." The Portable Harlem Renaissance Reader. Ed. David Lewis. New York: 1995. 100-105.

Wright, Richard. "Bluepringt for Negro Writing." The Portable Harlem Renaissance Reader. Ed. David Lewis. New York: 1995. 194-205.