Although blacks, or African Americans, have been in America at least as far back as colonial times, it wasn't until the 20th century that they gained a respectable and warranted presence in the history books. This applies to African American authors as well. African writers have authored some of the most vigorous and important works in American literature. Lucy Terry wrote the earliest known work of literature by an African American in the 1700's, although not published until 1855 after his death.
Phillis Wheatley was one of the first African authors to make a name for herself with her first publication Poems on Various Subjects in 1773. What made this feat not only remarkable but also controversial is that she was a bonded slave. Another black author, Frederick Douglass, was also a slave who escaped from slavery in 1838 after a previous failed attempt. He published his first book in 1845, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass. He was one of the men, the other being Abraham Lincoln, that inspired the choice of February as Black History Month.
Black History Month began as Negro History Week due to the efforts of Dr. Carter G. Woodson, a son of former slaves who entered high school at the age of twenty, graduating 2 years later and eventually receiving his Ph.D. from Harvard. Many other February events have taken Negro History Week to Black History Month including the birth of W.E.B. DuBois co-founder of the NAACP (himself a published author of a collection of essays entitled The Souls of Black Folk), the passing of the 15th amendment granting blacks the right to vote and a civil rights milestone that began with a group of black college students beginning a sit-in at a segregated Woolworth's lunch counter.
One of the most famous books by black authors is Up From Slavery by Booker T. Washington and it is interesting to note that DuBois and Washington, two of the most influential black intellectuals, did not agree on how blacks could better themselves in society. The early black writers and civil rights writers paved the way for the mainstream and contemporary writers of today. Black authors such as Toni Morrison, Alice Walker, Alex Haley and Maya Angelou have topped the best-seller lists.
A genre known as African-American now exists that both broadens and limits the horizons of black authors. A new generation of writers is beginning to emerge that has lent to the literary world, a new voice. This voice has been able to take the thought of African-American literature to new heights and due to the youth of these new writers we still have much to look forward to.