Image Credits: The Messenger, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
With social morale changing post World War I (WWI), Asa (A.) Philip Rudolph and Chandler Owen write about what the term "New Negro" means in relation to their context as Black Americans and the old narrative of the subdued "Old Negro." They break down their definition of the "New Negro" into three different categories: political, economic, and social. They demand equal political rights, access to fair wages, and social rights — inclusive of interracial marriages. They end off with action points for readers, such as supporting the working-class political party, joining labour unions, and educating themselves in a manner of self-defence.
[The New Negro's] presence is inevitable in these times of economic chaos, political upheaval, and social distress. Yes, there is a New Negro. And it is he who will pilot the Negro through this terrible hour of storm and stress.