An examination of black life and literature in the U.S. Includes stimulating essays on James Baldwin, Langston Hughes, Gwendolyn Brooks, Ralph Ellison, Richard Wright and William Faulkner as well as a primer on the Harlem Renaissance. The late Dr. Kent has conjured up the complex essence of Black folk history and applied and analyzed that history as a creative motif for the Black writer. His critical perspective is that of the Black Aesthetic; he draws from the ideologies of Franz Fanon and historical conditions to bring forth a brilliant analysis of the most influential 20th century Black writers.--Publisher's description.