Firsts in African American Literature

By Rilewa Ayoade

As of today, it is now Black History Month. With the purpose of commemorating and celebrating African-American history, this month has been observed in the U.S. and Canada for decades. Originated by the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) as Negro History Week in 1926, the tradition has evolved to be the Black HIstory Month we know today. It provides an opportunity to look back on Black history and to remember significant people, and events. History being as extensive and meticulously chronicled as it is, it has a lot to say, when viewed in retrospect. For all the losses and struggles throughout Black history, there have also been many successes. In honor of Black history month, this chronological article focuses on honoring Black writers, of all specialties, and the contributions they have made to literature. 

1746 - Lucy Terry 

Lucy Terry was a poet, and she published her poem Bars Fight in 1746. In the style of a ballad, its subject matter is an attack by Native Americans on two white families. It is Terry’s only surviving work. Her poem is also the earliest known poem, and known work of literature by an African American person. 

1760 - Jupiter Hammon 

Writer and poet, Jupiter Hammon published his poem An Evening Though: Salvation by Christ, with Penitential Cries in 1760. Doing so made him the first published African American author and poet. His subsequent work was a poem addressing Philis Wheatley, which was released 18 years later in 1778. 

1773 - Phillis Wheatley 

Phillis Wheatley [alternate spellings Phyllis and Wheatly] was the first African American person to publish a book. Being a writer, her book, Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral was a collection of her poems which was published in 1773. Wheatley’s poems are known for their focus on the topics of slavery and religion.

1827 - Peter Williams Jr. & John Wilk 

John Wilk and Peter Williams Jr., along with other freed Black people founded Freedom’s Journal in 1827. The journal was the first newspaper owned and operated by African American people in the United States. The Journal published news events, editorials, and opinion pieces.

1853 - William Wells Brown 

William Wells Brown was a novelist and playwright. In 1853, Brown published his book Clotel, or, the President’s Daughter, widely considered the first published novel by an African American person. It was published in London, where he lived at the time. 

1858 - William Wells Brown 

A few years later, in 1958, William Wells Brown’s play The Escape was published. His play was the first play written by an African American person to be published. After its release, Brown was known for his public readings of the play.

1859 - Harriet E. Wilson 

Novelist Harriet E. Wilson is known for being the first African American person to publish a novel in North America. Her novel Our Nig, Sketches in the Life of a Free Black was published in 1859. The work is considered autobiographical, as not much is known about Wilson. Our Nig is her only known work. 

1903 - Jesse A. Shipp, Will Marion Cook, & Paul Laurence Dunbar 

In Dahomey made its mark in history in 1903, as the first musical written and performed entirely by African American people on Broadway. The book was written by Jesse A. Shipp, the Lyrics were by Paul Laurence Dunbar, and the music was composed by Will Marion Cook. The show saw a revival in 1999 in New York. 

1944 - Matt Baker 

Matt Baker was an illustrator and comic book artist. In 1944 he became the first published African American comic book artist when he worked on Sheena, Queen of the Jungle, in Fiction House’s Jumbo Comics #69. He went on to work on a number of comics, including Tales of the Mysterious Traveler, and Sky Girl. 

1947 - Orrin Cromwell Evans

All Negro Comics was created in 1947 by Orrin Evans, Bill Driscoll, George J. Evans Jr., John Terrell, and others. All Negro Comics #1 was published in June 1947, and made history by being the first comic book written and drawn by only African American artists and writers. 

1949 - Gwendolyn Brooks 

Gwendolyn Brooks was a poet, author, and teacher. Her first poem, Eventide, was published when she was 13 years old. In 1949 following the release of her poetry collection Annie Allen, she became the first African American to win the Pulitzer Prize. 

1993 - Rita Dove 

Rita Dove is a poet, essayist, and former Poet Laureate Consultant. In 1993, she became the first African American and the youngest person to be honored as the United States Poet Laureate at the age of 40. She has also been lauded with awards such as the Pulitzer prize for poetry, and the National Humanities award for her extensive repertoire of poems.

1993 - Toni Morrison 

Toni Morrison was a novelist and essayist. She became the first African American Person to be awarded a Nobel Prize for literature in 1993. She is known for her novels such as The Bluest Eye, and Beloved, and remains a lasting influence on literature today.

The contributions that African American writers have made to literature are invaluable. With every step, black writers from a variety of backgrounds have managed to pioneer practices and precedents that pave the way for writers today. Roads have been paved to better, more accessible self expression, and to easier acceptance of change. Black History Month is not only a time to look back, to see where we’ve been, but also to look forward, to see the possibilities that the world has in store for us. Opportunities that are often shaped by our history. On that note, Happy Black History Month!