African American Literature
From GRPLpedia
Introduction
African American literary roots run deep. In fact, the earliest publication on record was written by a slave and dates to the 18th century colonial period. Despite this fact, very few literary works by African Americans were published prior to 1900, and black fiction didn't receive national recognition until the Harlem Renaissance (1917-1940) period.
The Harlem Renaissance, a New York cultural movement whose effects rippled from coast to coast in urban America, stoked the creative muse of artists in every discipline. Not only were great works of art, music, and literature conceived but intellectual thinkers like W. E. B. DuBois also emerged.
Today many of the works by artist from the Harlem Renaissance period are critically acclaimed and read in high schools and colleges across America as examples of good literature. Below are links to authors from this period as well as other eras in African American culture dating from the 1700s to the 21st century.
Select Titles
Contemporary Fiction Authors
Colonial Literature (1746-1900)
The Harlem Renaissance (1917-1940)
Post-Harlem Renaissance (1940-1980)
African American Classics
Nonfiction Slave Narratives
Abolition/Civil War/Reconstruction Nonfiction
Jim Crow/Segregation/Racism
Civil Rights Movement
African American Fiction for Kids and Teens
Databases
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