African-American Literature

This course provides an opportunity to survey the historical and artistic development of the rich body of literature written by African Americans from the colonial period through the present day. Students will read a variety of literary genres (autobiographies, novels, plays, poetry, short stories, songs, film, etc.) that express African-American experiences at various moments throughout American history. These historical moments may include the antebellum period, Civil War Reconstruction, the Harlem Renaissance, the Civil Rights Movement, and the Black Lives Matter movements. Writers may include Phillis Wheatley, Frederick Douglass, Harriet Jacobs, William Wells Brown, Frances Harper, Langston Hughes, James Baldwin, Nella Larsen, Lorraine Hansberry, Gwendolyn Brooks, August Wilson, Zora Neal Hurston, Toni Morrison, Alice Walker, Maya Angelou, Octavia Butler, Colson Whitehead, and many others. While exploring great works of literature by African-American writers, students in this course will also develop skills including reading comprehension, analytical writing, vocabulary acquisition, research, and historical/cultural knowledge. Throughout the course, students will have the opportunity to realize the powerful real-world purposes for reading and writing literature.