ABSTRACT

Having grown up Black in America, the author reflects on his limited exposure to African American literature in school as well as his even more limited opportunity to see himself reflected in the mirrors of those texts. The article then extends into a framework for expanding the inclusion of African American texts in educators’ classrooms. Approaching the literature from a historical design perspective (concerning the purposes that gave the literature life and direction throughout its existence), the article divides African American literature into two groups – the texts that centre race and race matter and those that centre lives and lifestyles – in an effort to challenge educators’ understanding of both the literature and the people represented within it. The article acknowledges that, while perhaps different in design, both groups of texts speak to the humanity of African American students as the students exist both within and beyond the context of race.

摘要

作为在美国长大的黑人，作者反思了他在学校对非裔美国文学的有限接触，以及他在这些文本的镜子中看到自己的机会更加有限。然后，这篇文章延伸到一个框架，以扩大非洲裔美国人的文本在教育工作者的课堂中的包容性。从历史设计的角度研究文学（关于在其存在过程中赋予文学生命和方向的目的），本文将非裔美国文学分为两组——以种族和种族为中心的文本和以生活和生活方式为中心的文本——努力挑战教育者对文学作品和其中所代表人物的理解。文章承认，虽然设计可能不同，