Intro to African American Literature

While trying to grasp an understanding of the Black Arts Movement, we as the reader often miss the opportunity in front of us, which is to interpret it in a multitude of different perspectives. The Black Arts Movement is generally defined as, “…radically opposed to any concept of the artist that alienates him from his community. Black Art is the aesthetic and spiritual sister of the Black Power concept. As such, it envisions an art that speaks directly to the needs and aspirations of Black America.” (Neal, 784). This movement has had an influential impact on the idea of non-violent protesting. Neal discusses the idea that there are only two ways to see this country which is white and black. While it doesn’t seem this cut and dry in most readings you come across regarding the Civil Rights movement, the artistic side of things sees the world as a canvas to express the oppression and struggle that the African American community has faced over the course of this movement. Those involved believe that the ways in which Western culture or white people interpret art and music needs to be revamped and modernized to fit the voices of our country as a whole, which would mean giving the African American community a voice of their own and integrating said voice into our daily practices, “We must destroy Faulkner, dick, jane, and other perpetrators of evil. It’s time for DuBois, Nat Turner, and Kwame Nkrumah. As Frantz Fanon points out: destroy the culture and you destroy the people. This must not happen. Black artists are culture stabilizers; bringing back old values, and introducing new ones. Black Art will talk to the people and with the will of the people stop impending “protective custody.” (Neal, 784). The most influential voices in literature are those who should use their power and notoriety to promote and lift up those voices being squashed down by society and the prejudice put upon them simply because of their culture and race. Voices such as Faulkner could take this perspective of being seen as this evil, villainous character and open their minds to the possibility that they can influence so many to become inclusive and express love rather than hate to those who appear differently than they do. 

While the emotional side of this topic is important, we must also look into the ethical aspects of this movement and what we can do to improve the system in order to stop the oppression of the African American community. When discussing civil rights, the line between right and wrong seems to fade as people think that their actions don’t have consequences. Neal wrote, “It is this natural reaction to an alien sensibility that informs the cultural attitudes of the Black Arts and the Black Power movement. It is a profound ethical sense that makes a Black artist question a society in which art is one thing and the actions of men another. The Black Arts Movement believes that your ethics and your aesthetics are one. That the contradiction between ethics and aesthetics in western society is symptomatic of a dying culture.” (Neal, 785). One point that really stuck out to me in that quote is the reference to the questioning of the acts of society in comparison to the actions of a single man. While a society can influence and reach more people, the acts from a singular person could change the outcome of a situation completely. A perfect example of this is Martin Luther King Jr., one man who used his voice to change the lives of black Americans across our country. In a poem written by June Jordan, titled “In Memoriam : Martin Luther King, Jr.”, the change and prosperity he brought to our country and the African American community is highlighted. It depicts the world he saw and how he sought out to change it, “honey people murder mercy U.S.A.//the milkland turn to monsters teach//to kill to violate pull down destroy//the weakly freedom growing fruit//from being born” (Jordan, lines 1-5). Violence was so set in stone as a means to solve problems that we fought back against King’s attempts to approach these same issues with peace, wisdom and words. We were teaching future generations that violence is the answer to all of your problems, regardless of the fact that it could’ve been solved with a conversation.

Taking King’s methods and the ideals of the Black Arts Movement and putting them together, it becomes alarmingly clear that our country is so resistant to change. We fight back against sound advice from those who experienced, first hand, how corrupt the thinking of those who participated in these violent protests truly was. This movement has made it even more clear that your voice is your most powerful weapon if used correctly. It can impact the lives of so many and can influence those younger than you to express themselves in a healthy and productive manner to enact change and a brighter future. 

  Discussion Questions:

1. Do you think that the difference in strategies from the Black Panther Party and the Black Arts Movement highlight any important factors that could’ve altered the path that the Civil Rights Movement took?

2. King’s use of his voice as a way to impact the Civil Rights Movement adds to the point that non-violent expression is the most effective way to solve an issue. What do you think was the most effective form of expression used in the Black Arts Movement? Why?

Works Cited:

Jordan, June. “In Memoriam: Martin Luther King, Jr. by June…” Poetry Foundation, Poetry Foundation,  Accessed Mar. 2024.

Neal, Larry. “The Black Arts Movement.” Google Drive, Google,  Accessed Mar. 2024.

   While reading Giovanni’s bio, the idea of individualism struck out. She asked the question, “I write what I see and I take responsibility for it. Why should thirty million people have to have me as a spokesman?”(Par 3, pg 879), it is stated that this question, this idea, this thought [of individualism] is what stamped and certified her standard of purity within her writing, “Nikki-Rosa”. Her poem was based on what she sees, and after knowing that and reading the poem, it’s easy for one to think that she has indeed seen an outside toilet, felt the goodness of the water in one of those chicago barbeque bathtub, and that she has a sister. Her poem screams her individual silent thoughts that are heard by her audience and felt by those who can relate. While thinking about the fact that this poem has her individualistic memories and experiences, there’s the line that implies that she and her family went through redlining, as we have talked about in previous classes, while reading and discussing ‘A Raisin In The Sun’. “As the whole family attended meetings about Hollydale”(line 13, pg 882), while in the description, it stated that Hollydale was a all-black neighbourhood in Cincinnati, OH, where Giovanni and her family hoped to build a home, yet could not because of loan discrimination in the housing industry. In ‘A Raisin in the Sun’, the Young family was trying to be bought out of a house that they bought in a dominantly white neighbourhood. ‘A Raisin in the Sun’ took place in the 1950’s in the south side of Chicago, Giovanni’s family was denied access from obtaining a loan for the all-black housing district around 1952 in Cincinnati, OH. 

   Another thought that jumped out at me was the idea of perspective. She ended her poem stating that she hopes that no white person ever has cause to write about her because they will never understand that Black Love is Black Wealth, though they were poor and went through so much, there was still love and that love was wealth itself, yet, a person only can tell what they see on the outside, from their perspective, and she doesn’t want her story to be misinterpreted into what society would consider the truth, though truly, it’s the outsider’s perspective truth. An outsider would only see loss, poverty, arguments and drinking and write/talk about that, but not the fact that everyone is together, that there is still love, and like every family, there will be bad times, as much as there will be good times. The idea of perspective also brings us back to the idea of individualism. Giovanni only writes what she sees and not nobody else’s, cause it seems, just as how she don’t want others writing her story from their perspective, she don’t want to be writing other’s stories from her perspective, and she can’t be the spokesman for thirty million people, everyone should share their own story from their own individualistic perspective of their own lives. She concludes her poem, “they’ll probably talk about my hard childhood and never understand that all the while I was quite happy.”(lines 26-28, pg 882), which supports the idea that there is so much more and it’s much better to speak from your own perspective of your own life than to speak of someone else’s, cause there’s always the greater a chance of misinterpretation speaking of someone else’s story, which is what Giovanni seems to avoid. She states in her poem, “if you become famous our something they never talk about how happy you were…” (lines 5-6, pg 882), which it gives the idea that the last line was to counter the fact that they would not talk about how happy she was, while she was indeed “quite happy’.

   To conclude, Giovanni wrote with perspective and individualism. She wrote her own perspective of her own life and not no one else’s. She wrote her perspective of a black childhood, and what it actually means to have Black Love, and that not all black childhoods are a drag and that there is indeed happiness. She is a woman who knows that she alone does not represent the black community, that she can’t be a spokesman for such a large community. She does not seem to care for an outsider’s perspective on her life, but her own. She used her intimate poetry to  create and cause an audience to stop and listen to what she has to say, for you know that the words she is speaking is of her own and not nobody else’s, it’s true and authentically her story, words, and feelings. ‘Nikki-Rosa’ was a well written poem that expresses Giovanni’s childhood as a black person and expresses the fact that she was quite happy.

 

Discussion Questions

1. What is your take on Giovanni’s method of writing her poetry, that it was an expression of her own individual experience and not the black community as a whole?
2. What other examples are in Giovanni’s poem that expresses the idea of individualism, perspective or both and how does it relate to those ideas?

 

Citations

Giovanni, Nikki, ‘Nikki-Rosa‘ Google Drive, https://drive.google.com/file/d/101A5ylyw9XbgUH5Rh-jEj6znoDIeNqBJ/view. March, 2024

 

The Black Power Mixtape

• Approx. 1 hour 30 mins
• 2011 Documentary by Swedish filmmakers on the Black Power movement
• I think you will like it! They interview a number of contemporary Black artists: Talib Kwali, Erykah Badu, Questlove, and more.

Access

Can be accessed through MyRedDragon library tab.

Instructions 

• Before watching: ask yourself, what do you know about the Black Panther Party and/or the Black Power movement? What ideas, images, or phrases come to mind?
• While watching the film, record any important quotes that stand out to you.
• After watching the documentary, please respond to one of the discussion questions below. Read them beforehand so you know what to look for and take notes on.

Instructions for 3/7 Online Class

In order to receive participation credit for our March 7 class, please complete the following: 

1. Respond to this short mid-semester check-in survey about how the class is going.
2. Answer a discussion question (leave your response as a comment directly on this blog post) by 11:59 pm on Thursday, March 7.

Discussion Questions

Choose one! In your response, include at least one quote from the film. Aim for one thoughtful paragraph, roughly 200 words. Please leave your response as a comment directly on this post.

• What was the Black Panther Party? Citing some specific examples from the film, what did they do (what are some actions they performed)? How did this film change your perception of them?
• What is the difference between the Black Power movement and the Black Panther Party? How do you understand the relationship between the two?
• In this film, we see a range of different perspectives on violence: while Martin Luther King Jr. believed non-violent tactics could achieve racial justice, many members of the Black Panther Party saw that Black people were being murdered by a white supremacist society, and might need to use force to defend and protect themselves. With reference to some specifics from the film, what do you think about all of this?
• What is one thing you learned from the film that relates to something we have read or discussed in class?
• What is one important moment or idea from the film that struck you as particularly interesting or important? Why did you find this aspect of the film so interesting or important? Be as specific as possible.

Have a great spring break!

And don’t forget the next round of readings, blog posts (Michelle and Hannah), and comments for 3/19!

     Martin Luther King Jr is known worldwide for his leadership and his determination to put an end to racial injustice and segregation. King is specifically recognized for his “I Have A Dream” speech but some of his other work is not talked about as much. His “Letter from Birmingham Jail” tends to be overlooked although it is equally powerful and impactful. After participating in a nonviolent demonstration in an effort to end segregation, King along with several others were arrested. The protest took place in Birmingham, Alabama, also known as one of the most segregated cities during the time. After months of boycotting white-owned businesses and gaining no progress in their efforts, King and others felt the only choice was to take direct action. However, they ignored a recently passed law that banned public gatherings without a permit. Not long after King’s arrest, a friend snuck in a copy of a newspaper that contained a letter written by eight religious leaders criticizing the protests as well as King himself. The letter labeled King as an instigator looking to cause trouble. Upon reading the letter, King sat in his jail cell writing his response. In the “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, Martin Luther King Jr. uses Metaphors, Imagery, and Allusion to assert his argument and express the need for change.  

     In the letter, King uses the metaphor, “we are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly”(836). This statement highlights the interconnectedness of humans, implying that all humans are connected in some way, united by a common fate. He compares humans to threads in a garment, just like the interconnected threads affect each other, humans also impact one another. What happens to one person can have an indirect impact on the rest of society. It is clear that King used this metaphor to address the need for everyone to stand up against inequalities and work towards creating an equal society. People tend to be selfish, only focusing on themselves. However, King creates a new way of thinking as he emphasizes the interconnectedness of humanity and recognizes the need for unity. He believed that when injustice occurs in one place it can spread and jeopardize justice in other places, no matter how far the places are. This quote evokes a motivational response because it gives the readers a different perspective; King’s goal is to motivate people to act and persuade others to help make a change and through this quote he does exactly that.  Additionally, King uses imagery to describe the horrible treatment that people of color experienced. His use of imagery allows the reader to visualize the horrible conditions he describes. In the letter, King states, “…when you suddenly find your tongue twisted and your speech stammering as you seek to explain to your six-year-old daughter why she cannot go to the public amusement park that has just been advertised on television, and see tears welling up in her little eyes when she is told that Funtown is closed to colored children, and see the depressing clouds of inferiority begin to form in her little mental sky, and see her begin to distort her little personality by unconsciously developing a bitterness toward white people…”(839). This quote leaves the reader heartbroken as they envision the struggles of racism and the effects it has on people even from a young age. It depicts a parent’s struggle to explain to their child why they cannot enjoy the same experiences as white children. King uses the words “seeing the depressing clouds of inferiority begin to form in her little mental sky” to show that what is supposed to be a “happy place” can be viewed in such a negative manner, all depending on the color of your skin. This quote clearly shows how damaging segregation is and the effect it has on people. King incorporated this quote to allow the reader to feel the same pain the young girl faces not being able to go to the amusement park. Through his use of imagery, it clearly shows inequalities and once again emphasizes the need for change. Lastly, in his letter, King uses Allusion to connect his ideas to historical figures. For example, he states “was not Thomas Jefferson an extremist? — “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.” So the question is not whether we will be extremist, but what kind of extremists we will be”(845).  King utilizes the use of historical references to establish a sense of common ground with the audience. In this specific Allusion, King uses a reference to Thomas Jefferson (who was highly viewed) stating that he was also labeled as an extremist. After being labeled as an extremist, he switched his point of view on the definition and took pride in it. King states that being an extremist should not have a negative meaning instead people should be proud(depending on what it is one is extreme about). He also states the difference between extremisms- some are fueled by hate and others are fueled by love. He attempts to influence his audience to choose the right one which he feels is being an extremist who is motivated by justice.  It is evident that through literary devices, King is able to write a successful letter, showing the reader the urgency for change and evoking the audience to feel motivated to take action. 

     Although he is primarily known for his infamous “I Have A Dream” speech, it is clear that pieces like “Letter from Birmingham Jail” are just as motivational and powerful. Without a doubt, King evokes several strong emotions in his audience while reading this letter. Through the usage of Metaphors, Imagery, and Allusions, King allows others to understand his point of view and the problems of inequalities, segregation, and racism that not only he faced but millions of people have also faced.

 

Discussion Questions: 

1. King feels that being an “extremist” should not always carry a negative connotation. Do you agree or disagree with this perspective? Why or why not?
2. “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere” is a well-known quote from the letter. Does it still apply to the world today? Why/why not? 

Citations: 

King, Martin Luther, Jr. Letter from Birmingham Jail. Penguin Classics, 2018.

Maranzani, Barbara. “Behind Martin Luther King’s Searing ‘Letter from Birmingham Jail.’” History.Com, A&E Television Networks, 31 Aug. 2018, www.history.com/news/kings-letter-from-birmingham-jail-50-years-later. 

     Martin Luther King Jr. is without a doubt one of the most well-known civil rights activists in history because of his “Letter from Birmingham Jail” and “I Have a Dream” speech. Both his speech and letter pushed Americans to recognize the racial inequalities that have been brought upon African Americans and the injustice of them. Throughout Jenn M. Jackson’s article, “Martin Luther King Jr. Was More Radical Than We Remember,” the term “radical ” appears an eye-opening number of times to characterize King and his contributions to the battle for equality in America. Jackson’s word choice pushes readers to realize the extent of work King contributed to society throughout his fight, which has clearly been underacknowledged. “Radical” as defined by Merriam-Webster Dictionary is “very different from the usual or traditional: Extreme.” Given that the word “radical” is most often used with a negative connotation, it is interesting that Jackson uses it 11 times in this piece—including in the title to describe one of the most admirable activists. 

     We learn about Martin Luther King Jr. and his iconic “I Have a Dream Speech” from a young age. However, the arguments made in this speech, why it was made, and for whom it was made are not discussed in true depth, and the overall meaning of his speech is rarely acknowledged in the way it was originally intended. We simply learn and discuss the not-so-controversial ideas and beliefs that King had, which barely touch the surface of the true issues of racism. As Jackson points out, the significance of this speech has been “whitewashed” throughout time. This highlights the possibility that some of King’s actions and beliefs—particularly the more controversial ones—may have been minimized in favor of a less controversial notion, degrading the true extent of racial inequality during this time. As stated by Jackson, “that manufactured perspective — often told to young children and supported by mainstream, predominantly white commentators — was focused on erasing the divisions between black and white people, not necessarily by blaming white people for their participation in systems of anti-black racism, but by moving beyond racial difference altogether” (Jackson). King’s letter and speech both address the real, deep racism that African Americans experienced which is important to recognize both then and now. Aligning with Jackson, King’s work, speeches, and letters are not censored and are certainly not apologetic, they are strong, powerful, and “radical”. They are extreme and shine a powerful light on the true problems at hand within this country. Jackson powerfully ends the article by stating, “​this Martin Luther King Jr. Day, we would do his memory justice by honoring all of his legacy. Not just the parts that make white Americans comfortable” (Jackson). By embracing all aspects of King’s radical activism and dedication to social justice, we can truly do his memory justice.

     Similarly, King’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail” highlights the extent of racial discrimination that America has endured, and the vigorous steps that must be taken to reform such a prejudiced America. King wrote this letter in Birmingham’s jail cell to fellow clergymen who had criticized and belittled his protest. In this letter, he presents a compelling case for the use of peaceful direct action and civil disobedience as vital instruments for opposing unfair legislation and promoting “radical” social change. According to King, “we know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed” (838). Change must be acquired through radical measures. King emphasizes that sitting idly by for change will never truly bring reform to anything. To seek real change, it must be demanded. It is crucial to demand change because it gives people the ability to take initiative and have an impact on society’s advancement. People who actively push for change hold others in positions of authority responsible, raise awareness of pressing problems, promote solutions, and make significant strides toward building a society that is more just and equal. King was always searching for where he could make a difference and take a stand. It is clear that no matter the level of progress he made in reformation, it was never going to be enough until every individual was equal. King emphasizes his will to fight in his letter stating, “I cannot sit idly by in Atlanta and not be concerned about what happens in Birmingham. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere” (836). King is expressing his firm belief that all people are connected and that it is only right to fight injustice wherever it occurs, no matter the obstacles. He understands that injustice is an ongoing threat worldwide and it is not merely something that occurs in certain places or communities. King’s efforts to promote equality stretch well beyond both of these two works and locations. Jackson draws attention to King’s antiwar activism during the Vietnam War and his leadership in the Poor People’s campaign. These details help us understand King as far more radical than the widely held perception that he is simply a peaceful dreamer. Jackson uses this argument to get readers to reevaluate their perceptions of King’s overall legacy and the reality of his dream in order to recognize the depth of his contributions to the civil rights movement. 

 

Discussion Questions …

1. Why do you think Martin Luther King Jr. is primarily remembered for his “I Have a Dream Speech”? Why are his other contributions toward his fight for equality not considered equally as important?
2. Going forward, how can we change the narrative of King to ensure that his true legacy is remembered and acknowledged, in full depth, in today’s society?

Citations: 

Jackson, Jenn M. “We Need to Honor MLK’s Real Legacy, Not the One That Makes White Americans Comfortable.” Teen Vogue, 31 May 2020, www.teenvogue.com/story/mlk-more-radical-than-we-remember?utm_source=nl&utm_brand=tv. 

King, Martin Luther, Jr. Letter from Birmingham Jail. Penguin Classics, 2018.