Final answer:
The blueprint for Black writing is not a single, prescriptive guideline but a reflection of the evolving strategies African American writers have used to articulate their experiences and struggles. This evolution has been marked by a transition from mirroring European styles to embracing a self-aware and assertive presentation of Black life and themes, as exemplified by figures like Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston during the Harlem Renaissance.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question What is the blueprint for negro writing which established how blacks had to write? refers to the diverse principles and approaches African American writers adopted over time as part of their creative and intellectual expression. During the Harlem Renaissance, views differed on how Black writers should present their work. The New Negro by Alain Locke is often seen as a manifesto for a movement that embraced a more African-centered literary expression. Writers such as Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, and Claude McKay challenged the status quo through their writing, focusing on African-American themes and addressing the struggles faced by Black Americans. Historically, Black writers like Frederick Douglass and Phillis Wheatley overcame significant barriers to publish their works and were crucial in advocating for African American literacy and education, deeply influencing the nature of Black writing.
African American writing has always been loaded with the need to contend with racial prejudice and has evolved in ways that reflect a strong sense of self-awareness and self-assertiveness, as seen in works by Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, and others. Despite restrictions and censorship throughout history, including slavery when Black individuals were often prohibited from learning to read and write, African American writers have crafted a literary tradition that vigorously asserts their place in the American canon.