African American Literature Essay

Throughout this semester in African American Literature we have read and analyzed many different literary works from The Norton Anthology of African American Literature by Henry Louis Gates Jr. We have discussed several of them in class either as a whole or in groups. I thoroughly enjoyed gaining useful knowledge about my own culture and heritage. This course also furthered my knowledge of the African American Experience. A few literary works stood out to me in particular; I’ve Been to The Mountaintop by Martin Luther King Jr. , â€Å"What to a slave is the Fourth of July â€Å" by Frederick Douglass and Long Black Song by Richard Wright. These powerful works of literature really allowed me to hypothetically â€Å"put myself in their shoes†. Some of the imagery portrayed in the text really effected me and made me reevaluate myself as an African American male. The impact that these powerful men and women had in their time period still affects us in present time. I’ve been to the Mountaintop delivered by the late, great, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on April 3,1968 was one of the most powerful speeches of his life. During this sermon Dr. King spoke of some of his encounters with racist white people. One of his encounters was a brutal stabbing incident in New York City. Dr. King was in critical condition for four days â€Å" if I had sneezed I would have died. † (King 115) Even though he was treated horribly he knew that one-day things 1 2 would get better. Martin Luther King jr. used a certain form of Vernacular called call and response/ call and recall engaging his audience and evoking a deeper response. He also made a few biblical references during the speech. Martin Luther King Jr. compares himself to a present day Moses stating â€Å" He’s allowed me to go up to the mountain†¦and I’ve seen the Promised Land, I may not get there with you, but, I want you to know tonight that we as a people will get to the promised land† (King 116). King’s speech really portrays the power of Non violent Direct Action. Frederick Douglass also played a big role this semester. The speech that intrigued me the most was â€Å"What to a Slave is the Fourth of July†. This speech is one of Douglass’ most controversial speeches. It allowed me to visualize the pain that they endured to help instill equality in America. One excerpt that moved me states â€Å"This Forth of July is yours, not mine. You may rejoice, I must mourn. †(Doug468) this meant that Frederick Douglass did not count himself apart of American traditions if he is not being treated like an American. The speech impacted me personally because it made me appreciate the value of freedom more than before. Thousands of men and women died in hopes of making a change. Their efforts were not in vein, and me, an African American male have to hold myself to a higher standard because living in a white America I am already at a disadvantage. Long Black Song by Richard Wright played a major role in my understanding of African American Literature because with its unique portrayal of inequality amongst 2 3 races. Richard Wright had a unique writing style that blended realism and naturalism in his stories. There dialogue alone brings the story to life. The battle that Silas is facing is not an easy one. He is constantly being provoked by the white man directly and indirectly until he can no longer take it and retaliates. In closing, I’ve Been to the Mountaintop, What to the Slave is Forth of July, and Long Black Song are all powerful literary works that helped me progress tremendously in my understanding of African American Literature. the main thing I got from each of these works was that you can not take anything for granted. Nothing in life is fair, so if you want to change something you have to take it upon yourself to initiate it. As an African American student attending an Historical Black College University I must be a leader in everything that I do. 3 4 Works Cited Gates Jr, Henry Louis. â€Å"Folktales. † The Norton Anthology of African American Literature. 2nd edition. Eds. Nellie McKay and Henry Louis Gates, Jr. New York: Norton, 2004. P. 110-116, 468 Print.