Free Essay On African American Literature

The study of African American Literature was entertaining and enlightening. Through this course, I got to see African American history through the eyes of the African Americans. The authors and texts studied revealed the history of Black people, their culture and the growth that this society has undergone over the years.
History is sometimes shaped by its authors. The history of the black people apparently comes out through their literary works. From the insightful slave narratives from back in the day, I learned what went on in those days and the feeling of blacks about slavery. It is educating for those of us who had no knowledge of the period of slavery, to get first-hand narrations of what went on and how people lived through that period of history.
The most interesting for me was the Harlem Renaissance that saw robust literature being done by blacks. It depicts the struggle for civil rights and express the desire by the black people to be recognized and be accorded the same dignity that every human being deserves. My favorite writer for this period is Langston Hughes, whose poetry is full of hope and optimism, expressing the pride of the Black and appreciating the wisdom they had despite the lack of basic privileges like education seen in poems like ‘Crystal Stair.' The downside and less interesting detail for me is the thin line between modernism, realism, and naturalism. I fail to see any significant difference and prefer to appreciate it all as African American Literature, transcending different periods of time.
African American Literature richly expresses the history of not only African Americans but also blacks in general. It addresses some issues that are still debated today like racism and equity. Earlier literary pieces also reveal a rich culture by black people and a profound spiritual connection.