African Literature in Afro-American Studies Programs or: Too Many Indispensables.

Within the Afro-American studies program, the study of African literature is invaluable in demonstrating the relationship between black Americans and Africa; it contributes to the sketchy glimpse of what black culture is and reflects the affective experience of colonialism and neocolonialism. This paper explores the values of an African-literature course for black Americans and focuses on the following goals as important for such a course: demonstration of both the irrelevance of the concept of alienated artist and the compatibility of individual genius with the concept of artist as communal spokesperson, understanding of the character and importance of oral art, introduction to the literature about African literature, and indication of the great variety of modern literature--in many languages and genres--from Africa. The paper concludes with a request that the academic community generate three kinds of materials: more accurate, definitive bibliographies; glossaries for individual works or authors, which explain topical allusions and translate all foreign-language terms; and more nonevaluative, nonsubjective criticism. (JM)