Product Description
Davis argues that African American authors have established a tradition of recurring images of whites in their literature and that they use these images to critique white racism. The book constructs a typology of white images in the black imagination. These images include such stereotypes as the overt bigot, the hypocrite, the liberal, and the good-hearted weakling. While black authors often explicitly reveal the racism of the overt bigot, Davis shows that black writers are much more subtle in their expositions of other forms of bigotry. The volume provides extensive discussions of such writers as Charles Chesnutt, Richard Wright, and James Baldwin and surveys a number of other African American authors. ... Read more

Product Description
The Tragic Black Buck examines the phenomenon, often paradoxical, of black males passing for white in American literature. Focusing on the first third of the twentieth century, this book argues that black individuals successfully assuming a white identity represent a paradox, in that passing for white exemplifies a challenge to the hegemonic philosophy of biological white supremacy, while denying blackness. Issues of race, gender, skin color, class, and law are examined in the literature of passing, involving the historical, theoretical, and literary tropes of miscegenation, mimicry, and masquerade. The narratives examined in The Tragic Black Buck are Charles Waddell Chesnutt's The House Behind the Cedars, James Weldon Johnson's The Autobiography of an Ex-Coloured Man, F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, and William Faulkner's Light in August. ... Read more

Product Description
Marcus Garvey. Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League, Garveyism, Negro World, Amy Ashwood Garvey, African American literature, Black nationalism, Right of return, Pan- Africanism, Double- duty dollar ... Read more

Product Description
Posters - ... Read more

Product Description
African American literature began as a forum tocreate a common voice for former slaves who used theslave narrative genre to speak of their sufferingwithin the so-called peculiar institution and theirlong journey to freedom. Hip Hop culture isfollowing in this tradition by collecting andrecording voices of today¿s generation in an oraltradition.It speaks out against the socialconditions that today¿s urban youth experience bycapturing and explaining their struggles caused bythe aftermath of slavery.This thesis compares themajor issues echoed in the lyrics of the emerginggenre of Hip Hop to issues raised in literary worksof authors like Iceberg Slim, Donald Goines, SisterSouljah and Bertice Berry in an effort to uncover adefinite connection between the literary and musicalmedia in providing a common voice of AfricanAmerican consciousness. ... Read more

Product Description
African American Vernacular English (AAVE)?also called African American English English, Black Vernacular, Black English Vernacular (BEV), or Black Vernacular English (BVE)?is an African American variety (dialect, ethnolect and sociolect) of American English. Non-linguist sometimes call it Ebonics (a term that also has other meanings or strong connotations). Its pronunciation is, in some respects, common to Southern American English, which is spoken by many African Americans and many non-African Americans in the United States. There is little regional variation among speakers of AAVE. Several creolists, including William Stewart, John Dillard, and John Rickford, argue that AAVE shares so many characteristics with creole dialects spoken by black people in much of the world that AAVE itself is a creole,while others maintain that there are no significant parallels.As with all linguistic forms, its usage is influenced by age, status, topic and setting. There are many literary uses of this variety of English, particularly in African-American literature. ... Read more

Product Description
The editors provide a general introduction as well as historical overviews of each of this anthology's eight divisions. The first six sections are chronological periods from the colonial period through to the present; the last two sections are on African American literary criticism and writing about African American literature. Selections include fiction, nonfiction, poetry, drama, speeches, and songs, as well as paintings and photography. An audio CD, included with the text, features music, poetry, speeches, and interviews. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR ()B> Tracing African American literary and artistic contributions from the 1700s to the 1990s, this anthology presents a diverse collection that includes fiction, nonfiction, poetry, drama, speeches, songs, paintings and photography. Readers learn about historical context, literary content, and rhetorical strategies while exploring sections on The Colonial Period (1746-1800), The Reconstruction Period (1865-1900), The Harlem Renaissance Period (1900-1940), The Protest Movement (1940-1959), The Black Aesthetics Movement (1960-1969), The Neo-Realism Movement (1970-Present), and Literary Criticism. For those interested in African American literature, art, and history. ... Read more

Product Description

In this provocative new book, Mark Christian Thompson addresses the startling fact that many African American intellectuals in the 1930s sympathized with fascism, seeing in its ideology a means of envisioning new modes of African American political resistance. Thompson surveys the work and thought of several authors and asserts that their sometimes positive reaction to generic European fascism, and its transformation into black fascism, is crucial to any understanding of Depression-era African American literary culture.

The book considers the high regard that "Back to Africa" advocate Marcus Garvey expressed for fascist dictators and explores the common ground he shared with George Schuyler and Claude McKay, writers with whom Garvey is generally thought to be at odds. Thompson reveals how fascism informed a rejection of Marxism by McKay--as well as by Arna Bontemps, whoseDrums at Dusk depicts communism as antithetical to any black revolution. A similarly authoritarian stance is examined in the work of Zora Neale Hurston, where the striving for a fascist sovereignty presents itself as highly critical of Nazism while nonetheless sharing many of its tenets. The book concludes with an investigation of Richard Wright'sThe Outsider and its murderous protagonist, Cross Damon, who articulates fascist drives already present, if latent, inNative Son's Bigger Thomas. Unencumbered by the historical or biblical references of the earlier work, Damon personifies the essence of black fascism.

Taking on a subject generally ignored or denied in African American cultural and literary studies,Black Fascisms seeks not only to question the prominence of the Left in the political thought of a generation of writers but to change how we view African American literature in general. Encompassing political theory, cultural studies, critical theory, and historicism, the book will challenge readers in numerous fields, providing a new model for thinking about the political and transnational in African American culture and shedding new light on our understanding of fascism between the wars.

Product Description
I’ve lived a life and have experienced the highs and lows of living. It is through living this life that I have learned a lot about what life is really about. Now, granted, I’m not Dr. Phil or Oprah, so my words may hold no credibility to you. Then again, you may read from this book and say to yourself, “Hey, I’ve been through this.” The Life and Times of a Self-Proclaimed Idiot is a brief portrayal of my life, Timothy W. Brown, and the things that I have learned in the brief process of living. If there is one struggle that remains with me, it is the “ME” struggle, and through this book, I will attempt to find this elusive being and get to know him, and share my insight with you. ... Read more

Product Description
"Not My Shadow" uses real life situations of African American urban life from a first person perspective, and depicts struggles with culture, social dualities, and powerful social forces within and outside the African American community. Personal and professional experience and proven anecdotes are used to offer strategies and activities for improving the African American situation.

The author literally inserts the reader into the African American community experience.Journey through a day at school, a Sunday church service, and other exciting and painful real life situations, and experience the African American community from the inside out!

Join the author chapter by chapter in laughter, tears, fear, and reflection as he grows up in the streets of North Philly, and develops strategies for the future of an American community. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Mind's Eye
Mr. Rodger's book is informative, witty, and intelligent about the African American experience.A mind's eye view of such subjects as spirituality, religion, and economics.It is truly a "MUST READ".

Tempered Radical
Not My Shadow is both powerful and inspirational.One man's life experiences combined with historic events, deep emotion and reflective interpretation have made this book a true must read.

Kenneth Rodgers (author) is a "Tempered Radical."He has brilliantly captured the essence of our being and provided all of us with a profound message from which to learn.With the courage to say what so many of us only wish to say, he has given us voice - brilliantly describing feelings we deeply feel, but may not know how to fully express, or perhaps even understand.As a true Tempered Radical - the author is that "quiet catalyst pushing back against prevailing norms, creating learning and laying the groundwork for slow but ongoing social change."

The concepts, theme and messages that run through the entire book, tie together beautifully towards the end.Mr. Rodgers' interpretation of spirituality, religion, education, law, politics, economics, entertainment and sociology leave you with a heightened appreciation of our past, and an understanding of the need for unity and strength in our future.You must have a truly open mind to enjoy and appreciate the messages that lie within. Like he said, "you just kind of have to be there."

I laughed, I cried, I personally related to many of the stories in this book.My hat off to you, Mr. Rodgers, for having true courage; and using yourself as the vehicle in which to teach, educate and enable all of us to learn!!Bravo!!
... Read more

Product Description
Tracing African American literary and artistic contributions from the 1700s to the 1990s, this anthology presents a diverse collection that includes fiction, nonfiction, poetry, drama, speeches, songs, paintings and photography.Readers learn about historical context, literary content, and rhetorical strategies while exploring sections on The Colonial Period (1746-1800), The Reconstruction Period (1865-1900), The Harlem Renaissance Period (1900-1940), The Protest Movement (1940-1959), The Black Aesthetics Movement (1960-1969), The Neo-Realism Movement (1970-Present), and Literary Criticism. ... Read more

Product Description
American Literature. African American literature, Chinese American literature, Jewish American literature, Mark Twain, Walt Whitman, Poetry of the United States, Theater of the United States ... Read more

Product Description
Readings in African American Language: Aspects, Features, and Perspectives, Volume 2 brings together scholars who research various theoretical approaches of the origin, characteristics, and development of African American Vernacular English (AAVE). The advantages of AAVE, codeswitching, dialect interference in writing, theories, and politics in AAVE, text analysis, and critical pedagogy all are discussed in this volume. Each article provides a different perspective attesting to the vitality and relevance of African American language as an academic, social, and cultural/linguistic entry in the field of language studies. ... Read more