Famous African American novels
By Johanna Dickson, Digital Publicist
February is Black History Month, the annual celebration of the contributions of people in the African diaspora. The event started as a week-long observance in 1926 and was founded by historian Carter G. Woodson and the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History. It was expanded by the leaders of the Black United Students at Kent University in 1969 and then officially recognized on a federal level by President Gerald Ford in 1976 as part of the Bicentennial. The month is now recognized in Canada and the United Kingdom.
It honors the past and present contributions African-Americans have and continue to make to our daily lives and culture, from Garrett Morgan, who created the first traffic signal and the gas mask, to George Washington Carver, who created peanut butter and 400 other plant products, to Lewis Latimer, who created the carbon filament.
In honor of Black History Month, here are six notable African-American writers and authors to read this February.
Toni Morrison is a novelist, editor and professor and the recipient of the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, the Nobel Prize in Literature, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Her novels are known for their epic themes, vivid dialogue, and richly detailed characters. Morrisonâs notable works include The Bluest Eye, Sula, Song of Solomon and Beloved. She played a pivotal role in bringing black literature to the mainstream, editing the works of Henry Dumas, Toni Cade Bambara, Angela Davis, and Gayl Jones. Morrison also wrote childrenâs books with her son Slade before his death in 2010.
Zora Neal Hurston was a folklorist, anthropologist, and author. She authored four novels and more than 50 short stories, plays, and essays. She began her literary career after arriving in New York during the height of the Harlem Renaissance. Hurstonâs most well-known work is the 1937 novel Their Eyes Were Watching God a coming of age tale told via flashbacks. During the late 1920s and early 1930s she spent extensive time in the Caribbean and the American South as part of her anthropological work. In 1937 she received a Guggenheim fellowship to conduct ethnographic research in Jamaica and Haiti. It was during her time in Haiti that she wrote Their Eyes Were Watching God. Other notable works include Jonahâs Gourd Vine, The Great Day, and Moses, Man of the Mountain.
James Baldwin was a novelist, essayist, playwright, poet and social critic. His essays on racial, sexual, and class distinctions in Western societies were collected in the 1955 book Notes of a Native Son. Other book-length essays include The Fire Next Time, No Name in the Street, and The Devil Finds Work. In addition to exploring issues of race, his works are notable for exploring gay and bisexual characters. Baldwinâs first novel, Go Tell it on the Mountain, is considered his best-known work. His other notable works include Giovanniâs Room, Just Above My Head, The Devil Finds Work, and Going to Meet the Man. He also collaborated with Richard Avedon, Margaret Mead, and Sol Stein on photography and non-fiction works.
Maya Angelou was an author, poet, dancer, actress, and singer whose career spanned over 50 years. She published seven autobiographies, three books of essays, and several books of poetry as well as play, television, and film credits. One of her most famous works, her first autobiography I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, tells the story of her life up to the age of 17. Her books center on themes such as racism, identity, family, and travel. Angelou became a poet and writer after previous jobs as a fry cook, nightclub dancer and performer, a coordinator for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, and journalist in Egypt and Ghana during the decolonization of Africa. Her other notable works include Just Give Me a Cool Drink of Water ‘fore I Diiie, Gather Together in My Name, On the Pulse of Morning, two cookbooks, three collections of personal essays, and seven childrenâs books. Angelou was also the first African-American woman to direct a major motion picture, Down in the Delta, in 1998.
Richard Wright was an author of novels, short stories, poems and non-fiction. His works concern racial themes especially those of African-Americans in the late 19th and mid-20th centuries. Some of the works he authored include Uncle Tom’s Children, Native Son, Black Boy, and The Outsider. Uncle Tomâs Children is a collection of four short stories about lynchings in the Deep South. The collection won him a Guggenheim Fellowship which allowed him to complete Native Son. Black Boy was an instant bestseller upon its publication in 1945. Literary critics credit his works for helping to change race relations in the United States in the mid-20th century.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. –The civil rights leader and Nobel Peace Prize recipient was also a noted published author. âStrength To Love was published in 1963 just before the Civil Rights Act was passed in 1964. That book, along with several others, are a collection of his letters, essays, and sermons primarily on the topic of racial segregation with some emphasis on religious values. Strength To Love, along with many other collections of King’s writings, are taught across the country in many schools and universities today, and stand as a testament to the power of his movement and contributions to society.
How to be alone? How to call unknown? How to fix a broken tooth at home? How to buy a car wash? How to say what are you doing in spanish? How to measure wheel bolt pattern? How to get rid of acne scars on face? How to make a bow in minecraft? How to turn off restrictions on iphone? How long does it take to get over pneumonia? How to reheat chicken wings? How to settle an upset stomach? How to get rid of ants in the house quickly? How to deposit a check online? How to sear tuna? How to watch friends? How do i speak to a live person at paypal? How to get henna off? How to change text size on iphone? How to fix a chipped tooth? How to wrap a gift? How to boil eggs so they peel easily? How to get over a guy? How to delete voicemail on iphone? How to make money fast as a kid? How to calculate bmi formula? How to cancel tinder subscription? How to play cornhole? How to store? How to make ice cream? How to make him fall in love with you? How to french braid your own hair? How to draw a cube? How to connect beats to laptop? How to be more productive? How to end a professional email? How to make eggs benedict? How to improve your memory? How to season burgers? How to get away with murder cast? How to get rid of wheezing? How to buy foreclosed homes? How to connect phone to smart tv? How to use an atm? How to get rid of runny nose? How to delete textnow account? How long to bake chicken thighs at 425? How to get rid of the hiccups? How to unlock a combination lock? How to swallow cum? How to clean electric stove burners? How to wear cufflinks? How to tell military time? How to burn fat? How to rotate objects sims 4? How to get free stuff on amazon? How to string a fishing pole? How to give a handjob? How to get rid of mosquito bites overnight? How to remove scratches from prescription glasses? How to make caramel apples? How to draw a lizard? How to watch out of market nfl games? How to make fried rice with egg? How to change discord password? How to make yeast? How to lower triglycerides naturally? How to get rid of a yeast infection overnight? How to edit a pdf on iphone? How to apply for global entry? How to enable cookies? How to convert png to pdf? How to sleep fast in 40 seconds? How to save money? How to diagram a sentence? How to take your blood pressure? How to watch the super bowl without cable? How to merge two pdf files? How to make heart out of gum wrapper? How long does it take a tongue piercing to heal? How to apply for medicare? How to swing a driver? How to wear a headband? How to enable location on iphone? How to make frozen yogurt? How to check pulse? How to set up zelle? How to buy a tesla? How to get sound on reddit? How to read tape measure? How to cite a lecture in apa? How to get covid vaccine in texas? How to stop smoking? How long does it take to get mortgage pre approval? How to talk to a gurl? How to get rid of drain flies? How to prevent hemorrhoids? How to find deleted text messages? How to have anal sex? How to thicken spaghetti sauce? How long to bake butternut squash? How to cook a pork shoulder? How to get bitcoin? How to stretch out a shirt? How to calculate a mortgage payment? How often to change tampon? How to share wifi password? How to become president in bitlife? How to say you in spanish? How long to smoke pork shoulder at 225? How to make hair bows? How to play poker for beginners? How to get rid of spiders in house? How to remove waterproof mascara? How to get liquid out of charging port? How to increase blood pressure immediately in an emergency? How to do electron configuration? How to pass a mouth swab? How to hang mirror on wall? How to thread eyebrows? How to play chinese checkers? How to shave your pubes? How to diagnose ibs? How did putin come to power? How to sign? How to bake chicken? How to cook greens? How to change your spotify username? How to make pdf fillable? How to clean earwax out of ears? How to make speed potions? How to tell if a pomegranate is ripe? How to test for ms? How to get rid of belly fat women? How to clean a keurig with vinegar? How to snowboard? How to tell if an egg is fertilized? How to unlock akimbo sykov pistol? How to start a research paper? How to measure waist for pants? How to get rid of bad breath from throat? How to evolve alolan vulpix? How to get grease stains out of clothes? How to loosen tight lower back muscles? How to find volume of a triangular prism? How to increase sperm count? How to open master lock 4 digit combination? How long does it take for chicken to thaw? How to fix your credit? How to strengthen immune system? How to set up a vpn? How to make a toddler poop when constipated? How long does it take to thaw a turkey? How to cook egg noodles? How to line up beard? How to find protons? How to spawn wither? How to get a boy to like you? How to get blood sugar down in a hurry? How to cook a burger in a pan? How to make pumpkin pie from scratch? How to make a chunky knit blanket? How to buy luna? How to plant grass seed? How to get rid of varicose veins? How to pan sear steak? How long to bake lobster tails? How to in text cite a website? How to find account number? How to tan without burning? How to download modern warfare beta? How to modernize a split level home exterior? How to get rid of fordyce spots? How to turn off closed captioning on peacock? How to switch phone carriers? How to use transfer tape? How long does magnesium citrate take to wear off? How to create a logo? How to add signature in google docs? How to jelq? How to set up? How to unblock on facebook? How do i program a rca universal remote to my tv?? How to restore iphone from icloud? How to suture? How long does it take birth control to work? How to find equation of tangent line? How long to cook brown rice? How to do a stick and poke? How to put music on instagram story? How to reboot iphone? How to open a safe? How to beat cliff april 2021? How to raise hdl? How to force quit on windows? How much are you supposed to tip? How to grow dragon fruit? How to have phone sex? How long to grill chicken breast? How to clean mac screen? How to tint windows? How long to cook a baked potato in the microwave? How to write a business letter? How to make a map in minecraft? How to get free spins on coin master? How to get rich quick? How to get free pets in adopt me? How to send certified mail? How to get rid of chafing? How to play dnd? How to cook steel cut oats? How to treat ringworm in dogs? How to check iphone for virus? How to maintain erection for 30 minutes? How to watch billions? How to lose breast fat? How to make a collage? How to say no in russian? How to do a deadlift? How to verify cash app? How to fall out of love? How to check if your phone has a virus? How to make lsd? How to download a youtube video to computer? How to cut broccoli? How to hide instagram likes? How to pay with paypal? How to test for magnesium deficiency at home? How to treat ringworm? How often to water peace lily? How much to rent a car for a week? How to organize? How to install vinyl fence? How to get a wet dream? How to draw a gir? How to transfer spotify playlist to apple music? How to find the median? How to relieve stress? How to get permanent marker off skin? How to calculate opportunity cost? How to register an emotional support animal? How to separate egg whites? How to edit photos? How to evolve ralts? How to curve a bowling ball? How to pair xfinity remote to tv? How to screen mirror iphone to roku? How to remove skunk smell from dog? How to size a bra? How to clean garbage disposal? How to send a fax? How to cure a stye? How to summon demons? How to make your phone charge faster? How to install artificial turf? How to draw a penguin? How to draw a bear easy? How to swipe a card? How to report spam text? How to give the best head? How to evolve combee? How to get bitches? How to heal cuts fast? How to make bitters? How to add extensions to chrome? How to get rid of fleas in the house forever? How to burn stomach fat? How to find my iphone from another iphone?RELATED VIDEO
Share this Post
Related posts
Famous African American female authors
The New York-born artist Edmonia Lewis, of African-American and Native-American descent, studied at Oberlin College in the…
Read MoreFamous African American Literature
In the month of February, Americans place a special emphasis on the achievements and history of black Americans, or Americans…
Read More