The United States of America is known for its social and political history. People from around the world dream of building a life in America as the country guarantees fundamental rights and offers bright career prospects.
However, the land of dreams has not always been like this. Dating back two centuries, the United States failed to provide fundamental rights to the black community. From slavery and racism to inequality, injustice, and segregation, the black population has suffered immensely at the hands of the white community.
African American literature has played a significant role in shaping the social scene for the black community today. The work of different writers has created awareness about the various pressing issues faced by black people daily and what can be done to get rid of them.
Do you want to learn more about the influence of African American literature on American history? We can help you. Superprof offers top-notch private literature tutoring services to students across the world. All you need to do is hire your favorite writer tutor online from our panel. We will teach you about the famous literary works of African Americans that have played a critical role in the constructive development of American history.
What is African American Literature?
African American literature is a collection of literary works produced by people of African descent living in America. Developed in the 18th century, African American literature is very diverse, but in general, these writings reflect the experiences of Africans in the American community. Simply put, this body of literature throws light on how it is to live in America as an African.
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A characteristic of African American literature is that it mostly focuses on topics relating to the black community's place and rights in American politics, society, and culture. It enlightens the world about the numerous issues faced by Africans in America. The writings of American literature revolve around the following elements:
| Aspects | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Slavery | Slavery was a prevalent issue in the United States, as many African Americans were forced to become slaves by the country's citizens. |
| Racism | There was excessive racism against African Americans as they were enslaved, their citizenship and voting rights were revoked, and they were denied any human rights. |
| Freedom | The African Americans had to face restrictions on their political, social, and economic freedom. |
| Equality | A severe lack of equality amongst the white and black races as there were no equal rights under the law of the United States |
| Religion | The enslaved African Americans were not even allowed to practice their own religion. |
| Culture | African Americans were not allowed to practice their culture openly. |
Why is the Study of African American Literature an Important Aspect of American History?
From slavery in the pre-civil war era to highlighting the elimination of racial segregation and the need for black nationalism, African American literature has played an important role in bringing changes in America.
Here is a comprehensive timeline of African American literature's part in building and changing America's history.
Early Era of African American Literature
African American literature originated even before American independence. Phillis Wheatley was the first black person to publish a book in America. Born in Africa, a young girl was sold as an enslaved person in America at the age of seven. She mastered English by the age of sixteen and wrote a book. The people were shocked to see a young, enslaved black woman talented enough to write heart-touching poetry about the biblical horrors of slavery.
Similarly, many black writers like Jupiter Hammon and William Wells Brown followed Phillis in writing about slavery. Their books were later reprinted and used by anti-slavery groups and movements. The first stage of African American literature started raising awareness about the aversion to slavery throughout the black community in America.
Slave Narratives
In the middle of the 19th century, a subgenre of African American literature emerged known as 'slave narratives.' What made it unique was that African American literature was amongst the first genres discussing ‘slave narratives’. It comprised pieces exclusively on black slavery in America., representing the abolitionist views about the evils of slavery. This genre emerged due to the rising African slavery in the country. Slave narratives continued to expand as around six thousand enslaved people like Harriet Jacobs from the Caribbean and North America wrote about their lives and the harsh conditions they had to bear.
A prominent enslaved African whose work spoke volumes and played an essential part in slavery elimination movements is Frederick Douglass. He gained immense attention from the public through his autobiography, "Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave." Although many people attacked his book by not believing that a black man could pen such exceptional words of wisdom and eloquence, his autobiography instantly became a best seller. Frederick escaped slavery to work for different abolitionist causes. He became a famous African American throughout the States.
These narratives were categorized into the following categories:
- Tales of religious redemption
- Tales to inspire the abolitionist struggle (These became the most famous as they had a solid slavery autobiographical impact on America)
- Tales of progress
It has been recorded that the slave narratives from the 19th century are known as the most-read literary pieces of all writings by African Americans. It played a colossal role in permanently abolishing slavery in America under the 13th Amendment of the Constitution in 1865.
Post Slavery Era
Although slavery had been abolished in America, issues like racism, injustices, inequality, and segregation against the black community still persist. As a result, several African American literature pieces were published by renowned writers to raise awareness of these pressing issues. Some of the prominent writers of this time include:
- E.B. Du Bois (1868–1963) published an essay called The Souls of Black Folk, which talked about Africans' poor status and position in American society.
- Booker T. Washington (1856–1915) wrote books including Tuskegee and Its People (1905), Up From Slavery (1901), My Larger Education (1911), and The Future of the American Negro (1899). His writings advocated ending racial segregation in America and granting equal rights to Africans.
- Paul Lawrence Dunbar wrote Oak and Ivy, When Malindy Sings (1906), and other books, shedding light on the poor condition of Africans in America and what can be done for improvement.
Harlem Renaissance
This was the cultural revival era of the black community in New York from 1920 to 1940 and included contributions from black dancers, singers, painters, and many other artists. It also comprised top-tier writers who substantively contributed to African American literature. They wrote various pieces with main themes like social and civil rights that should be granted to the African black community. Some of the top writers of that time include Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, Jean Toomer, Frank Marshall Davis, Wallace Thurman, and many more. The writers in the Harlem Renaissance shed light on important aspects like racial equality, justice, and freedom to practice religion and culture.
Civil Rights Movement Era
The civil rights movement era was when black people settled in North American cities like Chicago to escape racism and lack of opportunities in South America. This was during the World War I and towards World War II. As a result, many black writers like James Baldwin, Gwendolyn Brooks, and Ralph Ellison started emerging in the 1940s, the 1950s, and the 1960s. They projected their literary writings toward black acceptance in North America. They fought for equal opportunities, the end of racism, black nationalism, and representation. The African American literature pieces written in the civil rights movement era had exceptional results as the US Constitution finally started granting basic rights to men of all races throughout the country.
Recent Times
African American literature became a prominent genre from the 1970s onwards as several black writers continued writing best sellers. Some of the major writers and their works include:
- James Emanuel (Dark Symphony: Negro Literature in America)
- Larry Neal and LeRoi Jones (Black Fire: An Anthology of Afro-American Writing)
- Sterling Brown, Ulysses Lee and Arthur P. Davis (The Negro Caravan)
- Alice Walker (Their Eyes Were Watching) (God The Colour Purple)
- Alex Haley (Roots: The Saga of an American Family by)
- Cyrus Cassells' (Soul Make a Path through Shouting)
- Chester Himes ("Coffin" Ed Johnson and "Gravedigger")
- Thylias Moss
- Natasha Trethewey
- Oprah Winfrey (Oprah's Book Club continues to promote the African American Literature)
From the birth of the United States of America till date, African American literature has played a significant role in not only abolishing slavery in the country but also getting basic rights and equal representation. This literature body has critically shaped the country's history and impacted America's constitution.
However, there are still instances when the black race is subjected to racial segregation, injustice, and denial of basic rights. African American literature continues to play an essential role in fighting for the welfare and equality of the black community. Superprof's private tutors are also known to not only give literature tutoring to students but also help them learn about the African struggles in American society through the centuries.
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Afro american edebiyatı,yani burdaki bilgileri veren kişinin ismini öğrenebilir miyim. Tez yazıyorum bu kaynaktan pharaphase yaptım. O yüzden isim ve yapılış tarihi lazım
Hello Suzan! This article was written by our writer Aimen in April, 2023. Thank you for your feedback and good luck on your thesis!