Literature and Politics of Protest 1940-1959 The Protest Movement Literature and Politics of Protest 1940-1959

Background The Great Depression had taken its toll on the U.S, but especially African Americans Protest literature was published primarily between the years 1940-1959 Black writers began to expand on ideas/concepts established by HR writers Much of the fictional literature of this time embodied covert messages of protest- described injustices and racial inequality through the eyes of the protagonists Protest literature was not appealing to whites, who were not ready to accept responsibility for racism

A Country At War Racial tensions continued during WWII as blacks were drafted to fight but segregated from whites Blacks rioted to protest this discrimination. Asa Philip Randolph, a union organizer and civil rights leader, threatened President Roosevelt with a march on Washington unless military discrimination ceased Most of the social protests of the time were direct but nonviolent; including demonstrations, marches, sit ins, boycotts, etc

Read All About It The Role of African American Publications During the Protest Movement Protests against injustices were made by AA publications such as the Atlanta Daily World, Pittsburgh Carrier, and the Chicago Defender. John H. Johnson, the Chicago founder of the Negro Digest, Ebony, and Jet promoted positive images of blacks in his publications.

W.E.B Dubois From The Souls of Black Folk: “He feels his two-ness, an American, a negro; two souls, two thoughts, two warring ideals in one dark body,” (469). Theory: Blacks were uniquely Black AND American, although these identities sometimes conflicted. But there is no separating the two.

Marcus Garvey Early Years Born in Jamaica to a working class family Worked as a union organizer at a printing plant; organized strikes for better wages Became well known political activist and eventually went to England: London University to study

Separatist Philosophy Visited Africa, came to the U.S in 1917 to raise money for a Tuskegee Institute in Jamaica During his travels became convinced that uniting blacks all over the world was the only way to improve their condition Came to believe that all people of African descent should journey back to Africa to escape persecution Movement experienced a large surge in the 1920’s, but declined with his death in 1959

Ann Petry’s The Street Ann Petry’s The Street could be considered a form of protest The novel’s protagonist was a woman experiencing the harsh realities of a woman in the inner city- a topic not dealt with previously by black writers Petry portrays a culture of broken homes, lack community of support, poverty, and abuse at the hands of alcoholic and unfaithful men

Plessy Vs. Ferguson In 1892, Homer Plessy boarded a Louisiana Railroad Train and sat in section designated for whites Although he only had one black grandparent, the “one drop” rule of the time classified him as African American. He was arrested and jailed for refusing to move to a “colored” car In court he argued that his civil rights had been violated. The case eventually went to the Supreme Court, which upheld segregation as “separate but equal.”

Brown Vs. The Board of Education of Topeka A lawsuit was filed against the Board of Education of the City of Topeka, Kansas by 13 black parents who alleged their children were not receiving an equal educational opportunities because of segregation. They were aided by the NAACP and Thurgood Marshall, a successful black attorney. In 1954, the Supreme Court agreed that “separate” would never be “equal” and overturned Plessy vs. Ferguson This decision paved the way for the integration of the public school system in the U.S

The Protest Movement Period of social and political unrest Blacks sought a medium to speak out- often using literature, both fiction and non fiction, to protest injustices Authors such as Hayden, Petry, and Hansberry focused on realistic portrayals of the black experience Richard Wright, Ralph Ellison, and James Baldwin focused heavily on the theme of self identity Musicians continued to explore the concept of The American Dream through music such as the Blues