Alain Locke's book of essays, entitled "The New Negro," is a literary work in which came to symbolize the Harlem Renaissance. During the Harlem Renaissance, not only was African art, jazz, blues, dancing, and poetry flourishing, but so were the people who created it. In an excerpt, Locke describes many of the ways in which the "New Negro" has formed and is taking a new stand in society. For African Americans, it was a time of "rising racial self-consciousness, growing awareness of the interconnections between black Americans and persons of African descent elsewhere in the world, and of a vibrant black cultural community that established links with New York's artistic mainstream." Blacks were on their way to re-establishing stereotypes and were discovering ways in which they could take pride in their heritage. Locke describes the younger generation of the "New Negro" as being "vibrant with a new psychology." African Americans truly had their own Progressive Era as a race. They were working towards a newer, more contemporary, lifestyle. The reason as to why Locke refers to "The day(s) of 'aunties,''uncles,'and 'mammies'" as being "equally gone" was because of the numerous changes being made within the African community during the Harlem Renaissance. I believe Locke was, more or less, trying to support the idea of "out with the old, and in with the new." This makes sense because Locke writes about all the changed attitudes and lifestyles of the "New Negro," which would imply that some traditional habits would cease to exist. One of these old habits would be the title of family members. As opposed to the traditional, "auntie," "uncle," and "mammie," the "New Negro" may begin to use other, more proper, names such as "aunt" or "mother." Locke writes, "The popular melodrama has about played itself out, and it is time to scrap the fictions, garret the bogeys and settle down to a realistic facing of facts." Locke goes on to discuss that while many changes have been made in creating the "New Negro," some traditions have remained. Yet "the traditional lines of opinion drawn have rendered these quite obsolete." Furthermore, Locke states key points in describing the "New Negro" and does so successfully. His excerpt was factual and to the point. His support in "rehabilitating the (African) race in world esteem from that loss of prestige for which the fate and conditions of slavery have so largely been responsible" was noble and justified.