Literature African-American culture

african-american literature has roots in oral traditions of african slaves in america. slaves used stories , fables in same way used music. these stories influenced earliest african-american writers , poets in 18th century such phillis wheatley , olaudah equiano. these authors reached high points telling slave narratives.

during 20th century harlem renaissance, numerous authors , poets, such langston hughes, w. e. b. du bois, , booker t. washington, grappled how respond discrimination in america. authors during civil rights movement, such richard wright, james baldwin, , gwendolyn brooks wrote issues of racial segregation, oppression, , other aspects of african-american life. tradition continues today authors have been accepted integral part of american literature, works such roots: saga of american family alex haley, color purple alice walker, beloved nobel prize-winning toni morrison, , fiction works octavia butler , walter mosley. such works have achieved both best-selling and/or award-winning status.