Write a 3-4 page essay that discusses some of the ways African American writers drew on elements from history and culture as inspiration in their short stories, novels, and poems. Address one of the topics below in your essay. Paste your response in the assignment submission box, but also include the document file as an attachment by the date listed above.
- Why were African American poets like Langston Hughes, Ralph Ellison, and Amiri Baraka drawn to musical models such as Jazz and Blues as sources of inspiration?
- How were the political struggles of the 1960s and 1970s reflected in the works of African American poets who identified with the Black Arts Movement?
- What are some of the ways that Spoken Word and Hip Hop artists use expressive and colorful language to address the historical experience and political issues that confront African American people on a daily basis?
