African American literature

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African American Literature
Black people determination
The various eras of the African Americans awakening had a motivating effect on the black people. The determination was effectuated by numerous writings including books, poems, and newspaper’s articles amongst others. One pillar of the black movement is Wallace Thurman. He played a motivating role for the black writers that emerged even after he died. Thurman used his position as a publisher and an editor to compel the fellow blacks to show their good and bad side to the world through their writings. Thurman led the Harlem Renaissance with his 1929 novel, ‘The Blacker the Berry’ where he addressed the problem of colorism and discrimination even within the black Americans. In the novel, he noted that lighter color for blacks was preferred especially for the girls showing a high level of discrimination. Working closely with Thurman, Langton Hughes was also a major author in the Harlem Renaissance. His short stories collections, “The ways of the White Folks” captures various instances of racism and discrimination by the whites towards the black. Hughes documents 14 short stories addressing the issue of racism and the direct and indirect effects it has on the victims. In “Cora Unashamed,” Hughes demonstrates the courage that the black people should demonstrate in the face of oppression through the main character, Cora. Cora explicitly states that the whites had killed their daughter just because she became pregnant by a Greek man, “They killed you, honey.

They killed you and your child. I told ’em you loved it, but they didn’t care. They had killed it before it was… “Finally, W. E. B Dubois was also a great African American Writer during the Harlem Renaissance. He was among the pioneers of the NAACP and was at the forefront in the advocacy of equal rights for colored people. His book “The Souls of Black Folks” comprises of numerous stories showing the inside out lives of the black Americans under the dominance of the white people.
A raising in the Sun
A raising in the sun is extracted from Langton Hughes’ “A Deferred Dream Poem.” In the poem, the speaker wonders that happens to a deferred dream. He goes on to explore his thought on the issue insinuating that indeed a deferred dream is dangerous. All the prospects of what happens to a deferred dream are negative which points to the facts that to defer a dream is never a good idea. The speaker asks, “Does it Dry up like a raising in the sun” (Lines 1-2) and finishes the poem by wondering whether it explodes. The poem is well represented in the play ‘A Raising in the Sun.’ All of the family members of the Youngers gave a dream. The mother dreams of a bigger house for the family; Walter wants to invest in a liquor store, “Yeah You see, this little liquor store we got in mind cost seventy-five thousand…” Hansberry (494); Ruth, Walter’s wife, agrees to the mother’s suggestions of a bigger house which would fulfill her dream of having his son Travis grow in a spacious house. Finally, Beneatha, Walter’s sister dreams of going to medical school. All the dreams held by the younger’s will only be accomplished when the family receives $10000 insurance money for the death of the man of the house Mr. Younger. Nevertheless, when the money comes out, none of the dreams held by the Youngers is accomplished. Their dreams seem to be drying up like a raising in the sun. Walter, for example, loses $6.500 to one of his friends with whom he had planned to build a home with. Ruth conceives again which means that she now has to worry about two children while Beneatha stands no chance of paying for his medical school and subsequently miss out on the journey to Nigeria with her lover.
Malcolm X
While in Prison, Malcolm X had a lot of things to consider. The most important thing that he studies were the teachings of Islam through the teachings of Nation of Islam leader Elijah Muhammad. Muhammad teachings were anti-white. He claimed that the whites prevented the Blacks from becoming successful. They would inhibit every form of empowerment among the blacks Americas and thereby prevent their social, economic, and political status. Malcolm also learned that the Whites wanted to keep the black Americans from their identities so that they could remain their slaves forever. From the above lesson, Malcolm X realized that even his surname was selected by the white men to hide his surname and therefore deny him the chance to associate with his family. Malcolm thus decides to drop his name ‘Little’ that he thinks represent his lack of a tribe of affiliation. Instead, he adopts the title, Malcolm X. The X shows that indeed he has a Tribe but he has no way of knowing about it. Most importantly, the seven years that Malcolm spent in Prison helps him see things in a new perspective. It is a time of the revelation of a new religion, Islam, and new ideologies to fight for once he gets out of prison. In his biography, Malcolm X talks about his pilgrim visit to Mecca where he makes a realization that he can call white people brothers because they act like real brothers. He thus views racism as a misplaced vice in the society and undertakes to eliminate it. Malcolm also believes that a man should have a purpose which he should follow. He learns from Elijah that a man especially a Muslim man should remain celibate until marriage so that they can concentrate on more important things other than their relationships.
Bonus
The Harlem Renaissance started as a movement to uplift the black Americans through music, art, literature, poetry, politics and education. It made it easy for the African Americans to exercise their freedom through the literary tools that were easily available for them. However, the Black Arts Movement was important as it was an ethical movement that sought to fuse ethics with the aesthetics to eliminate the contradictions in the society including racism. The Harlem Renaissance was thus more literary-oriented than political as opposed to the Black arts movement which emphasized more on political freedom of the black Americans. Regarding similarities, the two movements were important as they were initiated by the black with a long aim of attaining Freedom for the Blacks and eliminate the various forms of oppression in the society. Moreover, the two were significant in the improvement of the Blacks position in the society especially in fostering their acceptability as creative beings with same intellect as the whites.