Dispatches from the Diaspora

African and Caribbean literary classics take center stage for Black History Month 2007

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Richard Wright, Zora Neale Hurston, Toni Morrison, Ralph Ellison: most of us know their stories and their works inside and out. These authors, and others less known, dared to weave African American sojourns, struggles and triumphs into the very fabric of American life and letters. To paraphrase Mos Def ’s eloquent observation from Black on Both Sides, these were indeed Invisible Men and Women who “got the whole world watching.” As such, each Black History Month we give them their hard-earned props.

Yet far too frequently overlooked are the great writers of African descent beyond America’s borders. They are men and women—some facing displacement and violence—who have dared to bear witness to the beauty, desperation and everyday strivings of their countrymen. Taking the time to read some of their works this Black History Month is perhaps one of the best tributes we can offer. It’s also a great way of bringing the disparate corners and cultures of the African Diaspora into sharper focus and warding off the knee-jerk patriotism that seems so prevalent these days.

This selection of authors and novels from throughout the Caribbean and Africa is by no means exhaustive, but hopefully it will help to chart a course for your own efforts to read outside the box of American fiction. It’s often said that language is the house of all culture. If that’s the case, these novels are skyscrapers, towering above a literary landscape that spans from the ancient cathedrals of Addis Ababa, to the commerce-choked alleys of Lagos, to the steel drum yards of Port of Spain. Take a chance on them and with a little bit of imagination you might just be able to go along for the ride.

Caribbean

Haiti

For those of you who like it melodic and jarring, Edwidge Danticat is the name to remember. Danticat lays bare the most heart wrenching moments of the Haitian experience with a skill that’s won her the American Book Award, the Pushcart Prize and numerous other awards. Her novels include Breath, Eyes Memory, Krik? Krak!, The Farming of Bones and The Dew Breaker.

Cuba

Though Alejo Carpentier wasn’t of African descent, in his works this Cuban Magical Realist always kept a keen and penetrating eye on the influence of African culture throughout Latin America. His works include The Lost Steps, The Kingdom of This World and Ecue-yamba-o!