Imagination Publication

  Urban fiction isn’t the first foray into African American literature or depiction of the social and cultural struggles African Americans have faced. It has a long history filled with dramatic, heart-wrenching, and poetic works. There have been groundbreaking works for which black authors  have won huge mainstream acclaim as well. 1.   Antebellum Literature Antebellum literature started with African American writers joining the war of words between England and the rebelling colonies. This was the first attempt to show black writers and poets were just as eloquent and talented as white poets. The Nat Turner Rebellion  gave rise to fervent antislavery movements where the writing shifted to include slave narratives. It explained the struggles for independence and liberty while also covering the brutal reality of the sexual exploitation of black women. This literature wasn’t the primary source portraying historical trauma for the reader’s enjoyment. It was an unpreceden...

  This year’s Black History Month ended weeks ago, but that doesn’t make Black history any less important in the months following. If anything, you should show even more support for the Black community by reading the literature they write and seeing life from their perspective. Here’s why you should be reading Black literature regardless of your skin color. Literature is Literature, No Matter the Color Around June 2020, a noticeable spike was  reported  in the purchase of books by Black authors. This wasn’t a coincidence or a case of the world finally seeing literature beyond color. In fact, this was only a temporary interest the world was taking in Black lives after the  brutal killing of George Floyd  in May of the same year sparked worldwide protests.    The rules of literature should never be written in blood. It shouldn’t take someone’s demise to finally see the light. Without putting too fine a point on it: you should read Black literature becaus...

If you identify as African American, you probably don’t see yourself represented in most books. That changes now! There are so many great books by Black authors coming out this year you don’t want to limit your reading to Black History Month .   From Trevor Noah to Charlie Mon, make 2022 a year about discovering Black literature and its subgenres by adding the following writers to your shelves. 1.   Trevor Noah You might’ve read this name and thought, ‘Doesn’t Trevor Noah host  The Daily Show ?’ He might host a daily show, but he also  comes from a place  of apartheid.  Born a Crime  is a written version of everything he’s joked about in his standup routines. In his book, he shares what it was like to grow up as a biracial kid in a country where Black and White people weren’t allowed to be seen together. From surviving on caterpillars to surviving the dating pitfalls of high school, he depicts life in all its raw glory with a wit that you can only iden...