This essay discusses Alain LeRoy Locke (1885-1954), Professor of Philosophy (Howard University) and examines his experiences, reasoning, and rhetoric as they challenge the accepted notions of race, education, and democracy. As an African American practicing philosophy in a racist nation, Locke also examined value communities and value differences within what he called the "fictional" categories of race and ethnicity. Personal experiences with barriers to pluralism led him to acknowledge and address the enduring power of racism woven tightly into the national fabric as part of his own evolving philosophy. The author connects Locke's insights to the Supreme Court decision on voluntary school integration policies. Finally, she argues that Locke's pluralism and pragmatism provide justification for continuing explorations at the intersection of art, race, education, and democracy as integral to philosophy of education.