The Best African American PoemsThe voice of black citizens is often best expressed through their writing. When you survey the wealth of material from the earliest days in America until today, the unfolding of the Black Experience is clear. While you get a sense of the time and place of each piece in African American fiction books, the emotional intensity is never clearer than when experiencing African American poems. These powerful pieces can almost transport you inside the life of their skilled authors. Poetry shares with you an experience from the inside. You may not know the details of a relationship or an occurrence, but you are totally immersed in the effect, feelings and thoughts that were evoked in the author. Sometimes a journalistic approach is not enough; you need to be on the inside and poetry can do that for you. Poets like And many more bring you deep inside life as a black man or woman. You are no longer an observer, you are part of the action - and you understand. And from understanding comes real change. Related articles: Entertaining African American Fiction BooksThere was a time in the not so distant past when only black readers enjoyed the works of black authors. Luckily that time has passed and talented writers of color enjoy the readership of large segments of society. African American fiction books like The Color Purple, Roots: The Saga of an American Family, and Beloved reached a national audience and widespread popularity. Each of these titles, and many others by black authors, has achieved bestseller status. African American poems and stories are vital because they share the cultural experience of being Black in America in a way not easily transmitted otherwise. When one is entertained, enthralled and totally immersed in the words of a skilled writer one walks totally in those shoes. For African American readers this can create a feeling of being understood and part of a larger community; for other readers it creates a feeling of connectedness and avoids that sense of 'other.'
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