Tracing African American literary and artistic contributions from the 1700s to the 1990s, this anthology presents a diverse collection that includes fiction, nonfiction, poetry, drama, speeches, songs, paintings and photography. Readers learn about historical context, literary content, and rhetorical strategies while exploring sections on The Colonial Period (1746-1800), The Reconstruction Period (1865-1900), The Harlem Renaissance Period (1900-1940), The Protest Movement (1940-1959), The Black Aesthetics Movement (1960-1969), The Neo-Realism Movement (1970-Present), and Literary Criticism. For those interested in African American literature, art, and history.