African American Theory

Introduction African American Theory

African American Theory is a critical framework that analyze literature produced by African American writers within the context of their unique experiences and cultural heritage. Rooted in the need to challenge traditional narratives that often marginalized African American voices, this theory emphasizes authentic representation, identity exploration, and the examination of themes such as resistance, cultural preservation, and social justice. It acknowledges the intersectionality of race with other social categories and draws from various literary and interdisciplinary traditions to provide a comprehensive lens for analyzing African American literature. Ultimately, African American Theory enriches our understanding of the rich and diverse literary contributions of African Americans, shedding light on the complexities of their narratives throughout history.

Criticism Against African American Theory

• Lack of attention to intersections of race, gender, sexuality, class, and other social identities in this theory.
• Criticisms of the use of Western literary theory as the framework for African American literary theory
• Arguments that African American literary theory is too focused on canonized works and neglects popular culture and other forms of expression
• Accusations of a narrow focus on the United States and neglect of the global context of African diasporic literature
• Debates over the relationship between African American literary theory and the B***k Arts Movement, with some arguing that the former fails to adequately address the political and social dimensions of B***k cultural production.

Examples of African American Theory

Work	Application of African American Literary Theory
Toni Morrison’s Beloved	African American Theory analyzes the novel Beloved by Toni Morrison, focusing on its portrayal of the experience of slavery and its enduring effects on the characters. It also examines the central role of memory and its significance in the lives of African Americans within the narrative.
Langston Hughes’ “I, Too, Sing America”	African American Theory can be applied to Hughes’ poem, “I, Too, Sing America,” to explore themes of racism, identity, and the African American experience. The analysis delves into the poem’s language and literary devices, deciphering how they convey these themes within the context of African American culture.
Alice Walker’s The Color Purple	It could be used to analyze Alice Walker’s novel, The Color Purple, emphasizing its portrayal of the experiences of African American women in the early 20th-century South. Additionally, it delves into themes of race, gender, and identity, examining their relevance to the African American experience.
Gwendolyn Brooks’ “We Real Cool”	African American Literary Theory examines Gwendolyn Brooks’ poem, “We Real Cool,” through the lenses of race, identity, and the African American experience. The analysis explores Brooks’ use of language and literary devices to convey the perspectives and experiences of her community.
Countee Cullen’s “Incident”	This poem is analyzed through this theory as a commentary on the persistence of racist attitudes and actions in American society, despite supposed progress post-slavery. The analysis highlights the speaker’s shock and confusion when confronted with a racial slur, emphasizing the insidious nature of racism and the vulnerability of even seemingly secure African Americans to discrimination.

Keywords in African American Theory

1. Double consciousness: A concept introduced by W.E.B. Du Bois in which African Americans have to navigate the cultural expectations and values of both their African heritage and their American experience.
2. Afro-pessimism: A theoretical framework that focuses on the ongoing and pervasive effects of anti-b***kness, oppression, and violence in the lives of African Americans, as well as the limitations of traditional approaches to addressing these issues.
3. Signifyin(g): A technique used in African American literature in which words and phrases are used in a way that communicates multiple meanings and subverts dominant cultural norms and expectations.
4. Intersectionality: A framework for understanding how different aspects of identity, such as race, gender, class, and sexuality, intersect and interact to shape an individual’s experiences of privilege and oppression.
5. B***k feminism: A branch of feminism that centers the experiences and perspectives of b***k women and emphasizes the ways in which race, gender, and other social identities intersect and affect their experiences of oppression and resistance.
6. Neo-slave narrative: A genre of literature that reimagines and reinterprets the experiences of enslaved Africans and African Americans in a contemporary context, often emphasizing themes of resistance, agency, and survival.
7. Cultural nationalism: An ideology that emphasizes the importance of preserving and celebrating one’s cultural heritage and values, often in the face of assimilation and oppression.
8. B**k aesthetics: An approach to art and literature that emphasizes the unique cultural and aesthetic traditions of African Americans and their contributions to the broader cultural landscape.

Suggested Readings

1. Du Bois, W.E.B. The Souls of Black Folk. Oxford UP, 2007.
2. Gates Jr., Henry Louis. The Signifying Monkey: A Theory of African-American Literary Criticism. Oxford UP, 1989.
3. Harris, Trudier, et al. The Oxford Handbook of African American Literature. Oxford UP, 2014.
4. Morrison, Toni. Playing in the Dark: Whiteness and the Literary Imagination. Vintage, 1993.
5. Neal, Larry. The Black Arts Movement: Literary Nationalism in the 1960s and 1970s. Univ. of North Carolina Press, 2005.
6. Smethurst, James Edward. The Black Arts Movement: Literary Nationalism in the 1960s and 1970s. Univ. of North Carolina Press, 2005.
7. Wall, Cheryl A. Women of the Harlem Renaissance. Indiana UP, 1995.
8. West, Cornel. Race Matters. Beacon Press, 2010.