African-American Literature

Introduction

Frederick Douglass

Ralph Ellison

Maya Angelou

The history of African-American literature is as old and varied as the United States itself, but there are several recurrent themes: combating racism, searching for a black identity, and maintaining a unique quality of life. One of the first published African Americans was Phillis Wheatley, whose collection of poetry precedes the U.S. Revolutionary War by three years (1773). Eighteenth-century “Slave Narratives,” journals of personal experiences by slaves, were (and still are) a source of insight and inspiration to readers. African-American literature of the 1800s was dominated by autobiographical works, culminating in Booker T. Washington’s Up From Slavery at the turn of the century. The early twentieth century produced many influential African-American writers, among them Langston Hughes and Ralph Ellison. Contemporary authors such as Alice Walker, Toni Morrison, and Maya Angelou continue to expand the canon of African-American literature.

Essential Facts

1. Frederick Douglass’ autobiography Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave (1845) advocated education as a way out of the physical and mental bondage of slavery. Douglass argued, “A little learning, indeed, may be a dangerous thing, but the want of learning is a calamity to any people.”
2. The Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s was a movement toward re-creating a unique African-American identity and celebrating black voices in the arts. Poets like Langston Hughes and novelists such as Richard Wright wanted to create a “New Black” identity that would change racial stereotypes by proving the depth of the African-American intellect.
3. In the 1970s, publication of Alex Haley’s novel Roots: The Story of an American Family helped many Americans to deal honestly with the history of slavery and inspired a keen interest in genealogy.
4. The Color Purple by Alice Walker and Beloved by Toni Morrison continued some of the genealogical recovery work from a woman’s point of view.
5. Oprah Winfrey, one of the most powerful women in the world, is responsible for bringing African-American literature to a vast audience through her wildly successful Book Club. Just some of the authors she’s included: Edwidge Danicat, Alan Paton, and Lalita Tademy.