Despite inequality of access to education, relentless discrimination, and a starkly segregated society, African American artists and writers have made landmark contributions to American art and literature. Works like A Raisin in the Son, Beloved, Their Eyes Were Watching God, Invisible Man, and I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings powerfully express the African American experience, expose the injustices of American society, and reveal the hopes, dreams, sorrows, suffering, and enduring achievements of Black America. With profiles of figures like Phillis Wheatley, Langston Hughes, James Baldwin, Rita Dove, Maya Angelou, and Toni Morrison, this collection puts the rich tapestry woven by African American authors and artists on full and breathtaking display.