Black Literary Suite: Black Writing in Reel Time

Abstract

Countless works by Black authors have found multiple lives through film adaptations, recontextualizing the ways in which modern audiences can engage with these narratives. From Charles Chesnutt’s novel The House Behind the Cedars, and the 1927 film directed by Oscar Micheaux, to Angie Thomas’ The Hate U Give and the 2017 film directed by George Tillman Jr., adaptations have brought renewed attention to works by Black authors expanding the discussion of a range of topics, including race, identity, coming of age, class conflict, and Black love. Black film, like Black writing, gives us history, past and present, real and reimagined. In order to highlight works within the Project on the History of Black Writing’s collection and demonstrate the impact these adaptations have had on the reception, circulation, and growing popularity of Black literature, this year’s Black Literary Suite (BLS) has selected the theme: “Black Writing in Reel Time.” The timeline, interactive map, and selected filmography highlight works that range from the Antebellum period, such as Solomon Northup’s autobiography Twelve Years a Slave, to the 21st century, where novels like The Hate U Give offer meaningful reflections that educate, challenge, and -yes- entertain us.