Brought about by the pain, inhumanity, and suffrage of their people, African American writers sought to necessitate change. Through their prose and poetry, these writers have vividly portrayed the way blacks were mistreated, their feelings toward this oppression, and their ability to endure in spite of it. Dealing with issues such as race, class, and gender, they paint a clear picture of the African American struggle. Authors such as Claude McKay, Charles Chestnut, and Langston …showed first 75 words of 1407 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1407 total…acceptance, and gender discrimination are serious issues that continue to prevail in society today. Authors such as the ones I’ve presented have taken great strides in overcoming some of these problems, yet in many ways social inequalities still continue to repress the black aesthetic. I believe, like these writers did, that by continuing the struggle against oppression and embracing their ethnic heritage, men and women of color can succeed without having to “become white.”