18th Century
Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral by Phillis Wheatly (1773)
A book of poems written by Phillis Wheatley (1753-1784) in 1771, an enslaved Gambian poet who was the first African American woman to publish a poetry book in London of 1773. She was deeply admired by George Washington, King George III, Benjamin Franklin, etc.; and she was dubbed as "the most famous woman of African descent in the World," leading her to participate in the American Revolution and playing an important role in America's founding and shaping ideals. She even earned her own emancipation with her writing.
The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, Or Gustavus Vassa, The African Olaudah Equiano (1789)
Equiano's autobiography details how his life completely changed from being the son of an Ibo chief (Southern Nigeria) to an enslaved person to an abolitionist. The autobiography was prompted by his experiences during the Atlantic Slave Trade as he travelled around the world. He purchased his freedom in 1777 alongside learning how to read and do arithmetic at 32 years old. Using his wits and charm, he was able to propose the first petitions for the abolition of slavery and was the first African American to be a part of the British Government
19th Century
The Escape by William Wells Brown (1858)
Wildly acclaimed for his writings, William Wells Brown was a profound antislavery lecturer, historian, playwright, and novelist. Brown was born to a white father and enslaved mother in 1814. He wrote the narrative autobiography of Frederick Douglass and then published his own narrative autobiography which saw massive success. His play The Escape was the first ever play to be published by an African American in 1858.
Under the Bamboo Tree by Bob Cole (1902)
Born in Georgia in 1868, Robert Allen "Bob" Cole was an entertainer with many talents as a musician, songwriter, and playwright alongside his partners James Weldon and J. Rosamond Johnson. He composed this song while with "The Creole Show." He and his partners from that group went on to create the first black musical comedy A Trip to Coontown, unfortunately the script is lost media.
20th Century
A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry (1959)
Hansberry was the first Black woman to be recognized as a playwright on Broadway. A Raisin in the Sun is regarded as timeless piece. The play is about three generations of the Youngers family; a Black family living in a Chicago where they suffer racial prejudice and hope for a better life. Hansberry won the New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award at the age of 29 thanks to it, making her the "first Black playwright, the fifth woman, and the youngest playwright" ever to do so. This is the film adaptation by Daniel Petrie.
Revelations by Alvin Ailey (1960)
This piece is a dance theater performance that encapsulates Ailey's iconic style through the dancer's use of space, the lines of the body, and how the dancers represent the physical world. This three-part composition tells the story of African American hope and resilience from enslavement to emancipation through influences of Ailey's childhood memories, spirituals, work songs, and traditional African American blues. Additionally, Ailey describes it as "blood memories" for they are as strong as the blood in his veins.
21st Century
Fairview by Jackie Sibblies Drury (2018)
Drury won the Pulitzer Prize for drama in 2019. This comedy boasts its excellence with an in-depth exploration of race in a conceptual and layered manner.
The Brother/Sister Plays Tarell Alvin McCraney (2009)
This play tells tales of coming-of-age. It captures audiences globally by pushing the boundaries of language, form, and sexuality through rhythm. McCraney is an American playwright, screenwriter, and actor. He was the former chair of playwriting at the Yale School of Drama and is a part of Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre Ensemble.
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