HOW IS LITERATURE A REFLECTION OF CULTURE?

African American literature should be defined as powerful and intelligent. The power comes when you read books such American Slave written by Fredrick Douglas, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, and The Color Purple. The writing of these books showed that African Americans had powerful words even in the early days, before the time of Martin Luther King. The books used the power of words on a paper, to expose how hard and troublesome it was for African Americans to come up to what they are today. The books showed that African Americans could have power and intelligence of word to move the hearts of many. The poetry of Langston Hughes exposed the African American experience to the rest of the world. These books and poetry were to foreplay of things to come, they paved the way. Martin Luther King’s I had a dream speech show the intelligence of the African American. His beliefs in everything should be equal has brought the American culture as a whole a long way. We are not completely there yet, but we have a black president now.

African American culture can be seen in things like the Harlem Renaissance. Music such as Jazz and the Blues became popular in regular America. African American music probably set up the way for every form of music it is today. African American culture can be defined in the unique hairstyles of its people, such as the afro, braids, and dreadlocks. African American culture can even be defined by its type of foods, such as fried chicken, collard greens, sweet potatoes, potato salad, good soul food cooking. The African American actors and actress, such as Denzel Washington and Halle Berry are a form of African American Culture in the American Film industry. Athletes such as Arthur Ash, Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Venus & Serena Williams, Jackie Robinson and Wilt Chamberlain define the culture in the sports industry. The African American Literature and Culture is very deep, it’s impactful and it means everything to the people that stand for it.