Rebellion and Revolution in African American Literature

Dear Colleagues,

Rebellion and revolution have been a part of African American literature from its inception with the 19th century slave narratives that were used in the abolitionist movement to end chattel slavery and counter pro-slavery arguments.  These two themes were also prevalent during the Black Arts Movement of the 20th century when Black Arts Movement writers rebelled against the status quo and sought a revolution to center blackness by producing art for, by, and about Black people that complemented the Black Power Movement’s efforts to build economic, social, educational, and political independence for Black people.

While rebellion and revolution are distinct features of these two periods in African American literature where literature and politics melded together, the theme of rebellion and revolution are not exclusive to these periods. Works of literature by African American writers in the century between these two periods, as well as in the post -1970s and into the current millennium, have had rebellion and revolution as a major theme. The very presence of African American literature is an act of resistance especially against status quo, mainstream (i.e., white-authored) literary arts norms, canons and “classics”.

In this special issue of Humanities, we invite submissions on the theme of rebellion and revolution from any period and genre within the African American literary tradition.  Indeed, the central concepts of rebellion and revolution are expansive and complex theories, each multifaceted and often overlapping.  For our purposes here, rebellion implies a formidable, but temporary or reactive resistance, either individual or collective, against conditions of oppression, and revolution entails an activity, movement, or shift in paradigm designed to effect long-standing changes to combat oppression and promote equality. Revolution, then, often follows rebellion, but is more proactive.

Some possible questions for consideration include the following:

• How are contemporary Black American writers defining revolution and rebellion in their literary production, and how do these definitions reiterate, reject, or re-envision themes of rebellion/revolution at the onset of the Black American literary tradition?
• How does the trope of rebellion/revolution get interwoven into works by African American writers?
• In terms of our capitalist economy, what are some of the social paradoxes represented in rebellion/revolution literature, and what are some of the suggested ways writers encourage readers to unpack and resolve the paradoxes of liberation and empowerment?
• What seems to be the link between rebellion/revolution and collective African American cultural and socio-historical experience?
• What are the ways in which Black American literature galvanizes and transforms theories of rebellion/revolution into a meaningful action?
• What, according to African American literature have been the foremost struggles confronting Black people since their 17th Century forced arrival in the United States?
• What have been the most effective mechanisms/devices/tools (protest, …) implemented by Black Americans to combat those struggles?
• What are the ways in which literature reflects or represents the specific, on-going struggles confronting Black existence in the United States?
• Who have been the most prescient literary voices advocating for rebellion/revolution to ensure the well-being of African Americans?
• How might we talk about Black American literature as a form of activism?

Abstract deadline: 31 January 2025

Full article deadline: 30 June 2025

Dr. Ama Wattley
Dr. Sharon A. Lewis
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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• African American
• literature
• rebellion
• revolution