The Nation of Islam and Black Consciousness: The Works of Amiri Baraka, Sonia Sanchez, and Other Writers (Modern American Literature)

__The Nation of Islam and Black Consciousness: The Works of Amiri Baraka, Sonia Sanchez, and Other Writers__ engages in the scholarly discussions about the origins and formation of the Black Arts Movement of the 1960s and 1970s, which rarely give credit to the role of the Nation of Islam's (NOI) teachings in the emergence of the movement and in shaping the subjects and themes of its literary works. This book reevaluates the common belief that Malcolm X is the most appealing black historical figure in the movement's literature and demonstrates how the NOI's perception of black consciousness shaped the aesthetic sensibilities of the movement's poets and playwrights in their fights against anti-black racism. __The Nation of Islam and Black Consciousness__ can be used in African American literature courses as it provides a thorough analysis of hidden literary texts written by black writers in the 1960s and 1970s. Reading this book today will help readers reflect on how a narrow understanding of "Americanness" is threatening to the American ideals of diversity and inclusiveness on which America was founded. Moreover, this book is useful for those who are interested in studying how identity politics functions to achieve certain social and cultural goals. "The Nation of Islam and Black Consciousness: The Works of Amiri Baraka, Sonia Sanchez, and Other Writers engages in the scholarly discussions about the origins and formation of the Black Arts Movement of the 1960s and 1970s, which rarely give credit to the role of the Nation of Islam's (NOI) teachings in the emergence of the movement and in shaping the subjects and themes of its literary works. This book reevaluates the common belief that Malcolm X is the most appealing black historical figure in the movement's literature and demonstrates how the NOI's perception of black consciousness shaped the aesthetic sensibilities of the movement's poets and playwrights in their fights against anti-black racism. The Nation of Islam and Black Consciousness can be used in African American literature courses as it provides a thorough analysis of hidden literary texts written by black writers in the 1960s and 1970s. Reading this book today will help readers reflect on how a narrow understanding of "Americanness" is threatening to the American ideals of diversity and inclusiveness on which America was founded. Moreover, this book is useful for those who are interested in studying how identity politics functions to achieve certain social and cultural goals."-- Back cover Cover 1 Contents 7 Acknowledgments 9 Introduction 11 Chapter 1. Amiri Baraka: The Development of an Artist Black Consciousness 33 Chapter 2. Amiri Baraka and the Rise of the Black Arts Movement 69 Chapter 3. Sonia Sanchez: The Woman Role to Restore Positive Black Consciousness 107 Chapter 4. Black Consciousness: A Means Toward Sociopolitical Reform 141 Conclusion 175 The Nation of Islam and Black Consciousness pariticipates in the scholarly discussions about the origins and formation of the Black Arts Movement of the 1960s and 1970s, which rarely give credit to the role of the Nation of Islam's teachings in the emergence of the movement and in shaping the subjects and themes of its literary works.