Origins of the African American Jeremiad

Download or read book Origins of the African American Jeremiad written by Willie J. Harrell, Jr. and published by McFarland. This book was released on 2011-10-14 with total page 241 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the moralistic texts of jeremiadic discourse, authors lament the condition of society, utilizing prophecy as a means of predicting its demise. This study delves beneath the socio-religious and cultural exterior of the American jeremiadic tradition to unveil the complexities of African American jeremiadic rhetoric in antebellum America. It examines the development of the tradition in response to slavery, explores its contributions to the antebellum social protest writings of African Americans, and evaluates the role of the jeremiad in the growth of an African American literary genre. Despite its situation within an unreceptive environment, the African American jeremiad maintained its power, continuing to influence contemporary African American literary and cultural traditions.