Thirty Years of Black American Literature and Literary Studies

Abstract

The past 30 years have witnessed an explosion of literary production by people of African descent. Although Black writers have been publishing their work for centuries, this has been an era of institutionalizing and diversifying literature, identifying and creating a market for it, and formalizing its study. This article explores a number of major trends that have influenced the production, distribution, and reception of African American literature since the Civil Rights and Black Power movements.