Chinua Achebe
Ama Ata Aidoo
Kofi Awoonor
Miriama Bâ
Louise Bennett
Jean Bernabé
Mongo Beti
Edward Kamau Brathwaite
Patrick Chamoiseau
Michelle Cliff
Maryse Condé
Leon Damas
Tsitsi Dangarembg
Edwidge Danticat
Tsitsi Dangarembga
Amma Darko
Nafissatou Niang Diallo
Buchi Emecheta
Frantz Fanon
Athol Fugard
Edouard Glissant
Nadine Gordimer
Mafika Gwala
Bessie Head
C. L. R. James
Marlon James
Yacine Kateb
Jamaica Kincaid
George Lamming
Sindiwe Magona
René Maran
Paule Marshall
Una Marson
Claude McKay
Dinaw Mengestu
Edgar Mittelholzer
Lília Momplé
Flora Nwapa
Femi Osofisan
Ferdinand Oyono
Orlando Patterson
Claudia Rankine
Vic Reid
Mary Seacole
Samuel Selvon
Léopold Sédar Senghor
Monde Sifuniso
Wole Soyinka
Véronique Tadjo
Ngugi wa Thiong'o
Amos Tutuola
Tiphanie Yanique
In order to choose the works which shape the canon of African American Literature, those who are included in the group "African American" must first be defined. Is an African American any US citizen of African descent or must they be descendants of the Atlantic chattel slavery system? Whether it aims to tackle these difficult questions or not, its literature and authors are often tasked with authentically representing the African American experience. The canon contains many works which both celebrate and interrogate connections to African heritage, even when simply portraying everyday life for African-Americans. A major cause of the cultural shift towards "Black" as a racial category with positive connotations now functioning as the preferred term is a desire to encompass the diversity of people of African American descent. The concept of diaspora- the spread of African peoples around the world, and their migrations -are central themes. Throughout different periods, there are movements whose goal is to reconnect with African peoples and cultures in addition to identifying with and sharing goals of resisting oppressive regimes.
As a literary movement, postcolonialism is defined as the literature which which emerges in the 1960s when the British empire decolonizes. Some new nations emerge and seek to establish a national identity. These writings are strongly political and often incorporate the use of non-English languages to assert cultural pride and sovereignty. Dominant themes of this literature include deriving a sense of identity from tribal affiliation, religion, nationality outside of the legacy of colonization. Immigration and emigration feature prominently in these narratives. Many also explore the transition from colonial subject to sovereign citizen. Engagement with and political support from people of African descent outside of the continent cultivates a transnational discourse. The rise of this literary movement also spreads an awareness of the diversity within racial groups, and spurs greater discussion of the complexity of experiences and perspectives within minority literature.
Afropolitanism and development
commonwealth vs. national literature
magical realism
neocolonialism
world literatures in English
As migration from the Caribbean islands and African continent increases, communities grow and develop a greater presence of second and third generation immigrants. Writers interrogate their place in the Black population, especially as these countries experience significant demographic changes. In addition, these influx of Arabic speakers and people from Muslim-majority countries challenges monolithic representation of Blackness. Real-life incidents of racial violence during the 1990s and changes to immigration policies feature prominently in these narratives. Once again, the exploration of the diversity of the Black experience and people of African descent expands within literature.
Apartheid is the strict system of segregation created under colonial rule in South Africa. Similarities to Jim Crowe laws and the shared English language lend themselves to cultural links with African American literature. Strengthening this is the widespread activism on American college campuses against the regime which resemble the student protests of 1968 that led to the creation of ethnic and gender studies programs. As a result, apartheid literature becomes a part of the Black studies canon and South African feminism strengthens the international emphasis of the 3rd Wave in the United States.
Another significant destination of enslaved Africans, ties between Americans and Caribbean peoples have a long history. These authors share a legacy of descendance from slavery with conventional African American literature. Waves of immigration also parallel with the Great Migration, creating collective themes of anxiety, hope, and displacement during these periods. Many Caribbean-American female writers also feature prominently in the women's studies movement. The cultural traditions and landscapes of these islands provide powerful imagery for this genre.
The Negritude movement is a prominent literary movement in former French colonies. These writings are have a charged intellectual current, adapting theories of French philosophies into arguments for their own national freedoms. World War One and Two strengthen the ties between these writers and African American authors of the Harlem Renaissance and Civil Rights eras, as many are strongly affected by their experiences fighting in France and expatriates who find better critical reception for the works in Europe. Much of the literature that emerges during this period develops a unique tradition of African American existentialism.
acculturation
intergenerational language transmission
naturalization
testimonio
Truth and Reconciliation
ubuntu
exile and island location
Haitian Revolution
multiethnicity
Africanité
Fanonism
Francophone literature of Africa