The Fifties

The 1950s was a very politically unstable time for African Americans. Their rights were constantly under attack. All the efforts made during the Forties to integrate the Armed Forces were abolished during the Korean War. A new era of racist assassinations began to occur and African Americans started to take a stand against blatant racism. The NAACP argued cases in Southern states against the discriminatory practices in public schools. In May of 1954, the Brown vs. Board of Education occurred. This case ruled racial segregation in public schools to be unconstitutional. The African American non-violent movement began taking the form of boycotts, sit-ins, and peaceful protests. The African American authors during this decade were writing about love, discrimination, the prison system, protest, black sexuality, and black life in Harlem.

Baldwin, James "Giovanni's Room." Dell, 1958.

This controversial novel tells the story of a white American student's love affair with an Italian bartender. What makes this novel controversial is the fact that both characters are homosexual. This book should be read because it deals with issues that still confront us today. The authors confronts the problems of same sex relationships, as well as, racism. It is written in such a manner that it keeps your attention.

Brooks, Gwendolyn "Maud Martha." Harper and Row, 1953.

This novel tells the story of a young dark skinned woman coping with the plague of discrimination from whites, as well as, other blacks. This book should be read because it shows that discrimination can come from both ends of the race line.

Himes, Chester. "Cast the First Stone." New American Library, 1952.

This novel is written in autobiographical form. It is about a white man name Jim Monroe, who is incarcerated for armed robbery. Jim discusses the dehumanizing process of the prison system and his homosexual affair with another inmate. This book should be read because it is a great way to learn about society's subculture through the eyes of someone who actually experienced it.

Lamming, George. "In the Castle of My Skin." Knopf, 1953.

This novel tells the story of four boys growing up and away from a Barbadian village. As they mature, each of their paths of life diverge. In my opinion, this is story telling at its finest because it has a great mixture of autobiographical and fictional elements.

Marshall, Paule. "Brown Girl, Brown Stones." Random House, 1959.

This book is the story about the growth of a Barbadian\-American Brooklyn girl named Selina Boyce. As Selina matures, she observes her family and her surroundings from a perspective that could only prove to help her in the long run. This book should be read because it gives a glimpse of what it is like growing up black in the United States.

Mayfield, Julian. "The Hit." Vanguard, 1957.

This novel reads almost exactly like a movie or a play. It is the story of a lowly Harlem janitor who has big dreams of getting out of the ghetto to start a new life. Instead, he chooses the wrong path which results in a fatal ending. This book should be read because it holds a strong moral theme and emphasizes doing the right thing.

Mayfield, Julian. "The Long Night." Vanguard, 1958.

This novel is the story of a ten-year old boy who takes seriously his mother's half-serious warning. And when gang members steal his money, he spends the long night trying to earn, borrow, and finally steal to get an equal amount of money back. This book should be read because it has a strong family theme and provides comic relief.

Murray, Pauli. "Proud Shoes:The Story of an American Family." Harper and Row, Publishers, Inc.,1956.

This novel is the biography of the author's grandfather, of Irish-African descendant, a northern mulatto, and one of the few black soldiers in the Union Army. The main character chose to come to the South after the Civil War and start a school for newly freed blacks in Furham, North Carolina. This book is a magnificent example of African-American fiction. It is the classical story of a family struggling for the ultimate goal of happiness in America. This novel is not only entertaining but provides some interesting historical background.

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