Adam of Ife

9780916418809

0916418804

Historically, literature by white authors has depicted the black male as childish, irresponsible, buffoon-like, immoral, happy-go-lucky, or dangerous - or a combination of these. Some contemporary literature, by both black and white authors, - often black women - while dropping some of these traits, has retained others and added to them. At a time when jail cells are bulging with disproportionate numbers of black men, and the breakdown of family values would seem to validate the negative literary characters as the norm, it is convenient to conclude that the black male in America is indeed a lost cause. Here to refute such a conclusion is the first anthology of its kind by African American women poets about black men who have had a positive impact on their lives. Some of their names are well known, but for the most part, they are fathers, husbands, brothers, sons, and other relatives and friends who have toiled in the everyday vineyard against great societal odds. They are good role models whose lives have enriched humanity in many personal ways. Many of the poets' names will be recognized from their own published collections or from journals. Others less well known are nevertheless gifted. A well-crafted, significant collection!