Introduction : African American literature through the years -- Oral tradition and the first Black writers: 1600-1820 -- Slave and free : 1800-1865 -- After the Civil War : 1865-1915 -- The Harlem Renaissance : 1918-1940 -- Through the civil rights struggle? 1940-1969 -- Into a new century : 1970-present.
Summary
Places important topics in context so that readers will understand the connection between black history and the sweep of America's story. This volume covers African American literature.