The Seventies

The Seventies was a time when African culture was adopted by African-Americans. The U.S government began to monitor Black organizations. Vietnam War ended and many African Americans soldiers faced many disappointments. Many Black Soldiers found that their lives were not improved by fighting in a war that was not theirs. Shirley Chisolm became the first black woman to run for the U.S. presidency. The Seventies saw the emergence of an open and ongoing discussion among Black men and women on the quality, forms and future of their relationships. African American authors still voiced their frustrations and desires in their writings, but many authors wrote about the same literary themes as in the Sixties.

Angelou, Maya. "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings." Random, 1971.

This novel is the autobiography of one of the greatest poets of the time. This is a 16-year old's perspective of the world. The author explores what it feels like to grow up Black and female in the South. This book should be read because it deals with the many issues the confront black adolescents.

Angelou, Maya. "Gather together in my name." Random, 1974.

This novel is the sequel to I know why the Caged Bird Sings, in which the authors is an unmarried sixteen-year old girl with a new baby to support. This book should be read because it deals with the trials and tribulations many single parents have to confront. Many teenagers could relate to this book.

Brown, Claude. "The Children of Ham." Stein and Day, 1976.

This is the story of a group of black teenagers and adults living together in three apartments in an otherwise abandoned and deteriorated Harlem tenement. Each member or friend of the group explains the group's attraction and personal beliefs and philosophies. This book should be read because it addresses the hardships and triumphs of living in the ghetto.

Chisolm, Shirley. "Unbought and Unbossed." Houghton, 1970.

This is the autobiography of one of the most powerful African-American woman of our times. The author describes her life, career, opinions of the U.S. political scene, and her thoughts on some major issues of our time. This book should be read because it takes an inside in-depth look at the first woman to run for the U.S. presidency.

Gaines, Ernest J. "The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman." Dial, 1971.

This novel is in the form of the tape-recorded recollections of a 110-year old black woman who has witnessed both slavery and the black militancy of the sixties. This book should be read because it provides the reader with what it was like to live through the changing times after the end of slavery.

Giovanni, Nikki. "Ego-trippin' and other poems for Young People." Independent Publisher's Group, 1971.

This is a collection of poems dealing with black pride. This book should be read because the author uses her talent for poetry to take the meaning of black pride to another level.. This is definitely a "must read" book.

Giovanni, Nikki. "Black Feeling, Black Talk/Black Judgement." Broadside Press, 1971.

This is a collection of poems dealing with the rage and frustrations felt by the black community. This book should be read because the poems are very powerful. The author addresses themes such as family, blackness, womanhood, and sex. Her poems are controversial and strongly influenced by rhythm and blues music.

Haley, Alex. "Roots: An American Saga." Doubleday, 1976.

The author tracks down his ancestry seven generations back to a small village in The Gambia, western Africa, where his Mandinkan predecessor, Kunte Kinte, was abducted in the eighteenth century and shipped to slavery in America. It accounts Kinte's life and that of his children down to the authors birth in New York. This book should be read because the infamous made for television movie does not touch the surface of what our ancestors had to go through during the slavery-era.

Morrison, Toni. "The Bluest Eyes: A novel." Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1970.

This is a touching story of a young girl and her journey through adolescence. The protagonist often refers to herself as being "black an ugly." Later, she comes to feel that all her problems would be solved if only she had blue eyes. This novel should be read because it addresses issues such as incest, self-hatred, dysfunctional families and pride.

Parks, Gordon. "The Learning Tree." Norton, 1979.

This is the story of a black family in a small Kansas town during the twenties. The novel follows the life of the young son, Newt Winger, as he grows from childhood through his first love. This book should be read because it is an American classic written by an African-American author. Also, it deals with the issues that confronted young black males growing up during that time.

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