During the period from 1965-1976, many writers attempted to develop a literary art based on new emerging conceptions of "blackness." This course will examine what they understood a "black aesthetic" to be, and how this understanding affected their writing. With a careful eye to their political and cultural contexts, this course will consider poetry, drama, essays, and fiction by such writers as Amiri Baraka, Sonia Sanchez, Nikki Giovanni, Ishmael Reed, and Toni Cade Bambara.