African American Literature is a distinctive genre of written works developed during the era of constitutionally sanctioned racial segregation. Historical, the literature genre emerged during the slavery movement around the mid-18th to 19th century. The literature works record of narratives and accounts of slave suffrage in American under imperialistic white rule. It also provides discussion on the adventures, life and times of fugitive slaves in the South who has escaped to the North for freedom.  African American Literature includes all works developed and published in the United States by authors of African descent. The genre encompasses works of famous African American writers beginning with the 18th-century writings of Phillis Wheatley.  In the beginning, African American literature employed creative techniques such as autobiographies, and spiritual works. However, with the legalization of slavery, discussion on the plight of slaves become the subject matter.

Most of the writings in the 19th century discussed the slaves’ journey towards freedom, including historical accounts of the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s that inspired several books and literary works (Decuir). African American literature also includes works from immigrant black writers from Caribbean islands and Jamaica who had journeyed from the North during the Great Migration. The literature genre has produced world-class writers who have received international honors and awards such as the Nobel Peace Prize handed to Toni Morrison. There are several sociological issues and cultural themes explored in African American writings, including discussion on the role of African Americans in the socio-economic and political development of the American society.

The works explore crucial historical and modern issues affecting members of the African American society including their culture, slavery, racism, oppression, poverty, access to social amenities, and social equality. African American literature includes creative pieces derived from ancient African oral literature such as songs, spirituals writings, sermons, rap music, proverbs, riddles, and gospel music. As mentioned before the subject matter and focus of African American writings has changed across the centuries. During the American Civil War, the work’s primarily focused on the plight of slaves. There were two main categories of African American works; some of the writing provided perspectives on the encounter of freed slaves while other books focused on social outlooks of free-born blacks in the North. Free blacks and fugitive slaves had different opinions on the subject of racism and oppression. Free blacks from the north primarily creatively discussed racism and slavery using religious narratives inspired by biblical sermons. Ideally, fugitive slaves from the South directly criticized white supremacy and slavery. Such authors provided gruesome accounts of the mistreatment, oppression, and deaths of African Americans from the torture exhibited by their white masters and slaveholders. Although freed blacks from the North discussed slavery, and other themes as expressed by fugitive slaves, their style of writings was more figurative and symbolic as such they were larger ignored in scholar conversations.

African American literary works in the 20th century revolved around the discussion on the step taken by American society to solve the challenges surrounding racism. As such, historical ills propagated against blacks continue to affect the current generation. Authors such as W.E Du Bois and Booker Washington have provided several debates on racism and its role in the socio-economic and political organization of the society. Authors such as Gwendolyn Brooks and Richard Wright primary focused on the exploration of issues surrounding Black Nationalism and racial segregation in the 20th century. Fortunately, within the 21st century, African American literature genre has been integrated into the general American literature. Creative African American works such as The Color Purple (1982) by Alice Walker, Beloved by Toni Morrison  (Stayton), have not only earned awards but have also inspired Hollywood scriptwriters and producers to develop movies and films that highlight the role of African Americans in the development of the American society.

In conventional terms, African American writings are works produced by authors from African descent living in the United States. African American literature is high varied due to diverse social groups, and cultural backgrounds of African Americans origins. Such works discuss what it means to have roots in a different continent and exist without rights in another continent, (Africa and American respectively). African American works are highly intimate and emotional, and they discuss deep social issues with the aim of advocating from quality, democracy, and inclusivity. Most works often critique the moral and social ills propagated among against members of the black community in America. They explore fundamental issues of democracy, inclusivity, and equality. Other themes expressed in African American culture include religion, feminism, and the role of women in the society, the criminal justice system, and migration among others. A critical outlook of African American literature provides the historical struggles of free black men in the quest to obtain autonomy in an individualized republic that discriminates against them. African American literature authors detail the bravery of black men who fought to shape the American nation despite resistance from the white public that desired to infringe their socio-political autonomy. Therefore, the conventional theme of African American literature was the discussion of post-revolutionary occurrences that shaped American society.

Works Citied

Decuir, Michael. “The Influence of Louis Armstrong on the Harlem Renaissance 1923-1930.” Atlanta University Center Robert W. Woodruff Library. 2018-08-08,

Stayton, Corey. “Too Terrible to Relate: Dynamic Trauma in the Novels of Toni Morrison.” Atlanta University Center Robert W. Woodruff Library. 2017-05-22,

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