ENGL 204 - African Amer Lit Survey

Unit(s): 4

This course explores the major developments, themes, and works of African American literature from its eighteenth-century beginnings to the twenty-first century. Beginning with an exploration of early eighteenth century African American poetry and speeches, the course moves forward through the nineteenth century abolitionist and womens movement to the period of Reconstruction. Continuing into the twentieth century, we will consider how Black writers’ desires to develop an identifiable African American literary tradition were continually revised. We will consider the motivations for these developments as well as how debates about aesthetics, politics, representation, audience, and form shaped literary movements, from the New Negro Movement to Afrofuturism, among others.

College of Arts & Sciences