A Brief Chronology of African American Literature
Created by Roger Blackwell Bailey, Ph.D. (Site maintained by wshute@alamo.edu)
Objections may well be raised about the arrangement of this list. I originally wanted it to be a reading list, but I have since linked the names of several authors to their own pages so that a bit deeper coverage might be possible. These links occur at the first appearance of an author on the list. Some links have already been made in anticipation of individual files to come, and I am working as hard as I can on these and others while teaching a full load. I shall be as grateful for suggestions as I am for your patience. Thanks in advance for both.
General References
1746.
Terry, Lucy, " Bars Fight."
1760.
The Narrative of the Uncommon Sufferings and Surprizing Deliverance of Briton Hammon, a Negro Man
*****Hammon, Jupiter, " An Evening Thought: Salvation by Christ, with Penitential Cries. "
1773.
Wheatley, Phyllis, Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral.
1789.
The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano..., Written by Himself.
1837.
Séjour, Victor," Le Mulatre." The earliest known work of African American fiction. The first translation of it appears in
The Norton Anthology of African American Literature, pp.287-299 (" The Mulatto")
1845.
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass.
1847.
Narrative of William W. Brown, A Fugitive Slave.
1849.
Narrative of the Life and Adventures of Henry Bibb, an American Slave.
1850.
Narrative of Sojourner Truth.
1853.
Twelve Years a Slave: Narrative of Solomon Northrup.
1857.
Steward, Austin, Twenty-two Years a Slave and Forty Years a Freeman.
1859.
Delaney, Martin L., Blake, or the Huts of America.
*****Wilson, Harriet E., Our Nig, or Sketches from the Life of a Free Black.
1861.
[ Jacobs, Harriet A.] Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl. Written by Herself..
1869.
Harper, Frances E.W., Minnie's Sacrifice.
1880.
Harris, Joel Chandler, Uncle Remus: His Songs and Sayings. Harris Home Page from PAL.
1881.
An Autobiography of The Reverend Josiah Henson ( "Uncle Tom" ).
1890.
Johnson, Mrs. A.E., Clarence and Corinne; or, God's Way.
1894.
Johnson, Mrs. A.E., The Hazeley Family .
1896.
DuBois, W.E.B., The Suppression of the African Slave Trade.
*****Dunbar, Paul Laurence, Lyrics of Lowly Life.
1899.
Chesnutt, Charles W., The Conjure Woman and Other Tales.
1901.
Washington, Booker T., Up From Slavery.
1912.
Johnson, James Weldon, The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man.
c.1920-c.1935 The Harlem Renaissance
1923.
Toomer, Jean, Cane.
1924.
Fauset, Jessie, There is Confusion.
*****White, Walter, Fire in the Flint.
1925.
Cullen, Countee, Color.
*****Locke, Alain, The New Negro:An Interpretation.
*****The Survey Graphic Harlem Number.
1926.
Handy, W.C.,ed., Blues: An Anthology.
*****Hughes, Langston, The Weary Blues.
1927.
Adams, Edward C.L., Congaree Sketches.
*****Fisher, Rudolph, Walls of Jericho.
1928.
Adams, Edward C.L., Nigger to Nigger.
*****Larsen, Nella, Quicksand.
*****McKay, Claude, Home to Harlem.
1929.
Thurman, Wallace, The Blacker the Berry.
1931.
Schuyler, George, Black No More.
1932.
Brown, Sterling A., Southern Road.
*****Fisher, Rudolph, The Conjure Man Dies: A Mystery Tale of Dark Harlem.
1934.
Hurston, Zora Neale, Jonah's Gourd Vine.
1936.
Bontemps, Arna, Black Thunder.
1938.
Wright, Richard, Uncle Tom's Children.
1941.
Brown, Sterling, Arthur P. Davis, and Ulysses Lee, The Negro Caravan.
1944
Tolson, Melvin, Rendezvous with America.
1945.
Botkin, B.A., Lay My Burden Down .
*****Brooks, Gwendolyn, A Street in Bronzeville.
*****Himes, Chester, If He Hollers, Let Him Go.
1946.
Petry, Ann, The Street.
*****Yerby, Frank, The Foxes of Harrow.
1947.
Motley, Willard, Knock on Any Door.
1950.
Redding, Saunders, They Came in Chains: Americans from Africa.
1952.
Ellison, Ralph, Invisible Man.
1953.
Baldwin, James, Go Tell It on the Mountain.
*****Tolson, Melvin B., Libretto for the Republic of Liberia.
1954.
Killens, John O., Youngblood.
1957.
Simmons, Herbert, Corner Boy.
1958.
King, Martin Luther, Jr., Stride Toward Freedom.
1959.
Hansberry, Lorraine, A Raisin in the Sun.
*****Marshall, Paule, Brown Girl, Brownstones.
1960.
Brooks, Gwendolyn, The Bean Eaters.
*****Williams, John A., The Angry Ones.
1961.
Baraka, Amiri (Le Roi Jones) from PAL, Preface to a 20 Volume Suicide Note.
1962.
Hayden, Robert, from Modern American Poetry A Ballad of Remembrance.
*****Perry, Charles, Portrait of a Young Man Drowning.
1963.
King, Martin Luther, " Letter from Birmingham Jail. "
***** Strength to Love.
*****Parks, Gordon, The Learning Tree.
1964.
Gaines, Ernest J., Catherine Carmier.
*****Baraka, Amiri (Le Roi Jones), The Dead Lecturer.
*****King, Martin Luther, Why We Can't Wait.
1965.
Brown, Claude, Manchild in the Promised Land.
*****Baraka, Amiri (Le Roi Jones), The System of Dante's Hell.
*****Tolson, Melvin B., Harlem Gallery.
*****Autobiography of Malcolm X. With Alex Haley.
1966.
Hayden, Robert, Selected Poems.
*****Baraka, Amiri (Le Roi Jones), Home.
*****Walker, Margaret, Jubilee.
1967.
Baraka, Amiri (Le Roi Jones), Tales.
*****Reed, Ishmael, The Free-Lance Pall Bearers.
*****Wideman, John E., A Glance Away.
1968.
Cleaver, Eldridge, Soul on Ice.
*****Gaines, Ernest J., Bloodline.
*****Giovanni, Nikki, Black Feeling, Black Talk.
*****Lorde, Audre, The First Cities
1970.
Angelou, Maya (Voices From the Gaps), I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.
*****Brown, Cecil, The Life and Loves of Mr. Jiveass Nigger.
*****Evans, Mari, I Am a Black Woman.
*****Wideman, John Edgar, Hurry Home.
1971.
Angelou, Maya, Just Give Me a Cool Drink of Water 'fore I Diiie.
*****Gaines, Ernest J., The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman.
*****Killens, John O., The Cotillion; or, One Good Bull is Half the Herd.
*****Morrison, Toni, The Bluest Eye.
1972.
Bambara, Toni Cade, Gorilla, My Love.
*****Reed, Ishmael, Mumbo Jumbo.
1973.
Walker, Alice, Revolutionary Petunias and Other Poems.
*****Wideman, John Edgar, The Lynchers.
1974.
Angelou, Maya, Gather Together in My Name.
1975.
Angelou, Maya, Oh Pray My Wings are Gonna Fit Me Well.
*****Hayden, Robert, Angle of Ascent.
*****Jones, Gayl, Corregidora.
1976.
Angelou, Maya, Singin' and Swingin' and Gettin' Merry Like Christmas.
*****Haley, Alex, Roots.
*****Jones, Gayl, Eva's Man.
1977.
Bambara, Toni Cade, The Sea-Birds are Still Alive.
*****Cleaver, Eldridge, Soul on Fire.
*****Jones, Gayl, White Rat.
1978.
Gaines, Ernest J., In My Father's House.
1979.
Jeffers, Lance, Grandsire.
1980.
Bambara, Toni Cade, The Salt-Eaters.
*****Dove, Rita, The Yellow House on the Corner.
*****Shange, Ntozake, Nappy Edges.
1981.
Evans, Mari, Nightstar.
*****Jones, Gayl, Song for Anninho.
1982.
Hayden, Robert, American Journal.
*****Naylor, Gloria, The Women of Brewster Place.
*****Shange, Ntozake, Sassafras, Cypress, and Indigo.
1983.
Angelou, Maya, Shaker, Why Don't You Sing ?.
*****Gaines, Ernest J., A Gathering of Old Men.
*****Jones, Gayl, The Hermit-Woman.
1984.
Baraka, Amira, The Autobiography of LeRoi Jones.
*****Daggers and Javelins.
1985.
Jones, Gayl, Xarque and Other Poems.
***** Kincaid, Jamaica, Annie John.
*****Wilson, August, Fences.
1987.
Bambara, Toni Cade, If Blessing Comes.
*****McMillan, Terry, Mama.
1988.
Ellis, Trey, Platitudes.
1990.
Walker, Margaret, How I Wrote Jubilee and Other Essays.
*****Wideman, John Edgar, Philadelphia Fire.
1992.
Morrison, Toni, Jazz.
1993.
Reed, Ishmael, Japanese By Spring.
1994.
Wideman, John Edgar, Fatheralong.
1996.
Wideman, John Edgar, The Cattle Killing.
1998.
Morrison, Toni, Paradise.
1999.
Williams, John A, Clifford's Blues.
Last Updated 10/06/09
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