An American friendship : Horace Kallen, Alain Locke, and the development of cultural pluralism

In An American Friendship , David Weinfeld presents the biography of an idea, cultural pluralism, the intellectual precursor to modern multiculturalism. He roots the origins of cultural pluralism in the friendship between two philosophers, Jewish immigrant Horace Kallen and African American Alain Locke, who advanced cultural pluralism in opposition to both racist nativism and the assimilationist "melting pot." It is a simple idea: different ethnic groups can and should coexist in America, perpetuating their cultures for the betterment of the country as whole. Cultural pluralism grew out of the lived experience of this friendship between two remarkable individuals. Kallen, a founding faculty member of the New School for Social Research, became a leading American Zionist. Locke, the first Black Rhodes Scholar, taught at Howard University, and is best known as the intellectual godfather of the Harlem Renaissance and editor of The New Negro in 1925. Their friendship began at Harvard and Oxford in 1906-1908 and was rekindled during the Depression, growing stronger until Locke's death in 1954. To Locke and Kallen, friendship itself was a metaphor for cultural pluralism, exemplified by people who found common ground while appreciating each other's differences. Weinfeld demonstrates how their understanding of cultural pluralism as friendship offers a new vision for diverse societies across the globe. An American Friendship provides critical background for understanding the conflicts over identity politics that polarize American society today.

In An AmericanFriendship , David Weinfeld presents thebiography of an idea, cultural pluralism, the intellectualprecursor to modern multiculturalism. He roots its originsin the friendship between two philosophers, Jewish immigrant HoraceKallen and African American Alain Locke, who advanced culturalpluralism in opposition to both racist nativism and theassimilationist "melting pot." It is a simple idea-different ethnicgroups can and should coexist in the United States, perpetuatingtheir cultures for the betterment of the country as whole-and itgrew out of the lived experience of this friendship between tworemarkable individuals.

Kallen, a founding faculty member of the New School for SocialResearch, became a leading American Zionist. Locke, the first BlackRhodes Scholar, taught at Howard University and is best known asthe intellectual godfather of the Harlem Renaissance and the editorof The New Negro in 1925. Their friendship began at Harvard andOxford during the years 1906 through 1908 and was rekindled duringthe Great Depression, growing stronger until Locke's death in 1954.To Locke and Kallen, friendship itself was a metaphor for culturalpluralism, exemplified by people who found common ground whileappreciating each other's differences. Weinfeld demonstrates howthis understanding of cultural pluralism offers a new vision fordiverse societies across the globe. An American Friendshipprovides critical background for understanding the conflicts overidentity politics that polarize US society today.

In An American Friendship , David Weinfeld presents the biography of an idea, cultural pluralism, the intellectual precursor to modern multiculturalism. He roots its origins in the friendship between two philosophers, Jewish immigrant Horace Kallen and African American Alain Locke, who advanced cultural pluralism in opposition to both racist nativism and the assimilationist "melting pot." It is a simple idea—different ethnic groups can and should coexist in the United States, perpetuating their cultures for the betterment of the country as whole—and it grew out of the lived experience of this friendship between two remarkable individuals. Kallen, a founding faculty member of the New School for Social Research, became a leading American Zionist. Locke, the first Black Rhodes Scholar, taught at Howard University and is best known as the intellectual godfather of the Harlem Renaissance and the editor of The New Negro in 1925. Their friendship began at Harvard and Oxford during the years 1906 through 1908 and was rekindled during the Great Depression, growing stronger until Locke's death in 1954. To Locke and Kallen, friendship itself was a metaphor for cultural pluralism, exemplified by people who found common ground while appreciating each other's differences. Weinfeld demonstrates how this understanding of cultural pluralism offers a new vision for diverse societies across the globe. An American Friendship provides critical background for understanding the conflicts over identity politics that polarize US society today. This book presents the biography of an idea, cultural pluralism, the intellectual precursor to modern multiculturalism. The book roots its origins in the friendship between two philosophers, Jewish immigrant Horace Kallen and African American Alain Locke, who advanced cultural pluralism in opposition to both racist nativism and the assimilationist “melting pot.” It is a simple idea—different ethnic groups can and should coexist in the United States, perpetuating their cultures for the betterment of the country as whole—and it grew out of the lived experience of this friendship between two remarkable individuals. Kallen, a founding faculty member of the New School for Social Research, became a leading American Zionist. Locke, the first Black Rhodes Scholar, taught at Howard University and is best known as the intellectual godfather of the Harlem Renaissance and the editor of The New Negro in 1925. Their friendship began at Harvard and Oxford during the years 1906 through 1908 and was rekindled during the Great Depression, growing stronger until Locke's death in 1954. To Locke and Kallen, friendship itself was a metaphor for cultural pluralism, exemplified by people who found common ground while appreciating each other's differences. The book demonstrates how this understanding of cultural pluralism offers a new vision for diverse societies across the globe. It provides critical background for understanding the conflicts over identity politics that polarize U.S. society today. Introduction: What difference does the difference make? Cultural pluralism as friendship -- From Berenstadt to Boston -- The talented among the tenth -- Locke and Kallen, student and teacher -- American pluralists, friends at Oxford -- The Plural is political -- Plural in culture, universal in religion -- Friendship rekindled, pluralism refined -- Locke's legacy, Kallen's memory -- Conclusion: Differences made "An American Friendship narrates the development of cultural pluralism, an idea that emerged in the early twentieth century to explain and shape American diversity, as told through the unlikely friendship of two philosophers, Jewish immigrant and Zionist leader Horace Kallen, and African American Alain Locke, intellectual godfather of the Harlem Renaissance"-- Provided by publisher