African American Prints: Du Bois, Maya Angelou, and a Living Legacy

This updated piece highlights how W. E. B. Du Bois and Maya Angelou shaped American letters and public life. It lists key works, notes Angelou's death in 2014, offers a poem excerpt, and suggests where to start reading.

Why African American prints matter

When people talk about "prints" in this context they often mean the lasting impressions African American writers, poets, and scholars have made on literature, culture, and public life. From essays and novels to poetry and scholarship, these works document experience, argue for justice, and reshape how readers see the world.

W. E. B. Du Bois - scholar, activist, writer

W. E. B. Du Bois (1868-1963) combined scholarship and activism. A co-founder of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), he used history, sociology, and literature to challenge racism and propose reforms.

Key works that remain influential include The Souls of Black Folk (1903), The Philadelphia Negro (1899), Black Reconstruction in America (1935), Dusk of Dawn: An Essay Toward an Autobiography (1940), and the novel The Quest of the Silver Fleece (1911). His essay "The Talented Tenth" helped shape early 20th-century debates about Black leadership and education.

Maya Angelou - poet, memoirist, and cultural figure

Maya Angelou (1928-2014) wrote across genres: memoirs, poetry, essays, and scripts. Her first and most widely read book, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1969), transformed the memoir form and opened public conversation about race, trauma, and resilience.

Other major works include Gather Together in My Name (1974), The Heart of a Woman (1981), and All God's Children Need Traveling Shoes (1986). Angelou was also active in the civil rights movement and worked with leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. She appeared in film and television over her career, including a credited role in the 1977 miniseries Roots .

A short excerpt

A Rock, A River, A Tree
Hosts to species long since departed,
Marked the mastodon.
The dinosaur, who left dry tokens
Of their sojourn here
On our planet floor,
Any broad alarm of their hastening doom
Is lost in the gloom of dust and ages.

But today, the Rock cries out to us, clearly, forcefully,
Come, you may stand upon my
Back and face your distant destiny,
But seek no haven in my shadow.

- Maya Angelou

Where to start reading

Begin with a short selection from each author: Du Bois's The Souls of Black Folk and Angelou's I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. From there, explore poetry, essays, and historical works. Libraries, reputable bookstores, and academic editions offer reliable introductions and context.

These writers represent only a fraction of the broad, ongoing tradition of African American literature. Their work continues to influence scholarship, activism, and everyday readers.

1. Confirm Maya Angelou's credited appearance in the 1977 miniseries Roots via a reliable filmography (e.g., IMDb, film archives, or published biographies).