African Lit-Afro American Lit

4 Types
1. From the continent Lit-Nigeria, Botswana, Kenya
2. Diaspora Lit
3. Afro-American Lit
4. Black Aesthetics Lit

3. Afro-American Lit:-
Slavery was justified. That, blacks were inferior. So, Protest literature came. Edward Said in 'Orientalism' says this 'the process of Othering.'
Marxism says this creates hierarchy.

Immanuel Kant says in his essay "What is enlightenment?" that blacks were not equal with the whites.
David Hume, Thomas Jefferson also thought blacks were inferior and said Phyllis Wheatley is inferior to criticism.
Hume and Kant were so called creators of the enlightenment movement. Jefferson ironically dated a mulatto woman.

In the 20th century started celebrating 'blackness.'

Later, documenting of African lit in America started. Antonio Gramsci, a modern Marxist stressed on organic literature. They are counter cultures, subaltern studies & culture studies.

Slave narratives are important too. Equino Edualdoh is a slave narrator.

Harlem Renaissance followed the Abolitionist Literature. The former wanted to be proud of identity. From rural southern they started moving to north for better life. There was industrial expansion in the north. Blacks started settling in Chicago, New York & others.
But negro capital remained Harlem. People were uniting with a vision. It led to a collective movement & solidarity. Africa now became symbol of pride in the 20th century.
Claude McKay's 1919's millitant sonnet "If we must die" is about the movement. James Weldon Jameson is another poet. This movement created the New Negro. W. E. B. Dubois is another important writer of this era.

Critical Race Theory is about coloured people, including blacks.
Countee Cullen, Zora Neal Hurston, Langston Hughes are important writers of black America.

Cullen used to be called a 'nigger' by another child in Baltimore.

Richard Wright was a new writer beyond Harlem times. He showed that the negro is not inferior. His 'Native Son' shows urban realism.

Ralph Ellison's 'The Invisible Man' is the black modernist fiction. Social issues were discussed.

James Baldwin's  essay 'Everybody's Protest Novel' is important work of modern twentieth century.

Again, the whites were giving patronage for the writings.

The blacks participated in World War but civil rights were denied.

Legal studies is equally important.

Black power or black art movement is about solidarity to liberate themselves. Unity is important. 


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