Contemporary African American Literature and the End(s) of Identity

African American writers and intellectuals have begun to question the wisdom of defining black identity in terms that overemphasize the shared racial and cultural heritage of black people. Course assesses a range of literary and scholarly writing that engages these concerns. Explores such topics as the growing class division among African Americans, the effects of integration, the decline of nationalism, and the visibility of sexual minorities. Likely authors include Johnson, Morrison, Wideman, Beatty, and Senna. Enrollment limited.