Best literature by and about Blacks

"Besides being of use to readers seeking to locate the significant works of individual authors such as Rita Dove (e.g., her 1989 poetry collection, A L'Opera) or Jawanza Junjufu (Countering the Conspiracy to Destroy Black Boys, 1983), this volume also places the literature of and by African Americans in the context of authors, genres, and historical periods from 1750-1860, 1860-1900, 1900-1940, and 1940 to the present. Entries within each period-each with an introduction on its dominant themes -- cover a diverse range of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, drama, and literary criticism."--Pub. desc.