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African American Literature Book Club

African American Literature Book Club: Wallace Thurman

For Students 9th - 10th
This site includes the author's credits as an editor and playwright, a biography, and links to three of his books.
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African American Literature Book Club

African American Literature Book Club: Alain Locke

For Students 9th - 10th
A biography of African-American writer Alain Locke, chief interpreter of the Harlem Renaissance, the video [5:30] "Ossie Davis: Dr. Alain Leroy Locke's Influence," and links to three of his books.
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African American Literature Book Club

African American Literature Book Club: Dorothy West

For Students 9th - 10th
This biography of Harlem Renaissance writer Dorothy West includes a video [2:42] of West in New York and links to book reviews for all of West's works.
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African American Literature Book Club

African American Literature Book Club: Alex Haley

For Students 9th - 10th
This site provides a concise biography of Haley, the video [12:28] "Alex Haley Interview Roots (Merv Griffin Show 1977)" and links to six of his books.
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African American Literature Book Club

African American Literature Book Club: Chinua Achebe

For Students 9th - 10th
This site includes a brief biography of Achebe, the video [9:13] "Nigerian Writer Chinua Achebe on CNN's 'African Voices'" and links to 17 of his books.
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African American Literature Book Club

African American Literature Book Club: John Henrik Clarke

For Students 9th - 10th
This site focuses on the historian John Henrik Clarke including a biography, the full video of "John Henrik Clarke: A Great and Mighty Walk" [134:00], and links to ten of his books.
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African American Literature Book Club

African American Literature Book Club: Shay Youngblood

For Students 9th - 10th
This site includes a brief biography of Shay YoungBlood, a video clip [5:34] of "Shay Youngblood reading from Black Girl in Paris at the Dent" and links to three of her works.
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African American Literature Book Club

African American Literature Book Club: Jean Toomer

For Students 9th - 10th
A biography of Jean Toomer and links to two editions of his book Cane.
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African American Literature Book Club

African American Literature Book Club: Ann Petry

For Students 9th - 10th
This site focuses on Ann Petry including a short biography, the video [10:12] "Ann Petry and Harlem's History" and links to seven of her literary works.
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Digital History

Digital History: American Ethnic Literature

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
Educated white men weren't the only ones contributing to a truly American literature. Read about the literature written by Native Americans, African Americans, Mexican Americans, and Irish Americans. All added to the melting pot of...
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PBS

Pbs: Literature & Life: Voices of the People

For Students 9th - 10th
Actor and singer Paul Robeson and playwright August Wilson are two African Americans featured in this discussion. Throughout their careers, they fought for justice for African Americans. This page has readings of their works and expert...
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University of Illinois

University of Illinois: Modern American Poetry: Gwendolyn Brooks, Biography

For Students 9th - 10th
Detailed account of the writer's life. Contains references to contemporaries, influences and motivations in her career.
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National Humanities Center

National Humanities Center: Toolbox Library: Writing, Making of African American Identity: V. 3

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Articles that examine the goals of black literature. It primarily focuses on the advent of the New Negro Movement and critics assertion that black writing should abandon its explicit social and political purposes in favor of more...
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African American Literature Book Club

African American Literature Book Club: Lorraine Hansberry

For Students 9th - 10th
This site focuses on Lorraine Hansberry, author of A Raisin in the Sun, including a short biography, "The Lorraine Hansbury: Mini -Documentary" video [10:38], and links to four of her books.
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African American Literature Book Club

African American Literature Book Club: Paul Laurence Dunbar

For Students 9th - 10th
This site focuses on Paul Laurence Dunbar including a biography that includes a poem in dialect "Negro Love Song" illustrating how well the author used this format. It also includes links to eight of his books.
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African American Literature Book Club

African American Literature Book Club: Ralph Ellison

For Students 9th - 10th
This site offers a biography with a photo of Ellison and a video entitled "The Novel: Ralph Ellison on Work in Progress 1966" [28:56]. It also has links to seven of his books.
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University at Buffalo

Phat African American Poetry Book: Arna Bontemps

For Students 9th - 10th
Three of Arna Bontemps' more famous poems are printed here.
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Indiana University

Iu: Literature as Lessons on the Diversity of Culture

For Students 9th - 10th
Very scholarly article that looks at the role literature helps teach us about the diversity of our culture. The author looks at various aspects of literature and then gives teacher resources and a helpful bibliography.
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Other

Wired for Books: "Their Eyes Were Watching God"`

For Students 9th - 10th
Professors discuss the book by Zora Neale Hurston. Gives insight into the style and character analysis.
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Howard University

Howard University: Sterling A. Brown, a Literary Tribute

For Students 9th - 10th
This tribute article discusses the author as a professor, critic and Poet Laureate.
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University of Washington

Best Site on Colleen Mc Elroy

For Students 9th - 10th
This site is from the University of Washington, where McElroy is a professor. It has biographical information, a list of her works, and other details about the writer.
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Other

Zora Neale Hurston: Women in History

For Students 9th - 10th
The African American novelist Zora Neale Hurston is described with facts, accomplishments, and links to web sites for further research.
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Authors Calendar

Author's Calendar: Toni Morrison

For Students 9th - 10th
A detailed biography on the works of African American writer and 1993 Nobel Prize for Literature winner, Toni Morrison. Contains information on the themes and subject matters of her most famous books while also giving some information on...
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Academy of American Poets

Poets.org: Amiri Baraka

For Students 9th - 10th
Provides some key facts and accomplishments in the life of African American poet and writer, Amiri Baraka.