African-American literature is the body of
literature produced in the United States by writers of African descent. It begins with the works of such late 18th-century writers as
Phillis Wheatley. Before the high point of slave narratives, African-American literature was dominated by autobiographical spiritual narratives. African-American literature reached early high points with
slave narratives of the nineteenth century. The
Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s was a time of flowering of literature and the arts. Writers of African-American literature have been recognized by the highest awards, including the
Nobel Prize to
Toni Morrison. Among the themes and issues explored in this literature are the role of African Americans within the larger American society, African-American culture,
racism,
slavery, and
social equality. African-American writing has tended to incorporate oral forms, such as
spirituals, sermons,
gospel music,
blues, or
rap.