From The Black Aesthetic Summary

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The Black Aesthetic and the Black Power movements allowed major progressive strides for black individuals towards racial equality in America; in addition, it encouraged the celebration of the achievements made by black individuals, as well as stimulated pride in the black body and soul and all of its capabilities. Upon these movements of empowerment, also produced was the concept of “de-Americanization,” which is explained by Addison Gayle in his article “From the Black Aesthetic.” Until these movements, the majority of American history was constructed and published by white Americans for white Americans, which aided their beliefs and only strengthen their control over American society, especially in regards to race. Even in terms of black …show more content…

Ultimately, it allows a complete reordering of culture to take effect. In the words of Larry Neal, of “The Black Arts Movement,” he argues that this reordering of culture “proposes a separate symbolism, mythology, critique and iconology”(2039). This supports the notion of transforming black mammies to queens and shackled men to styled afros and suits. He discusses the two Americas that exist, one black and one white. Somehow, one America’s art forms are most predominant and in fact forced upon both Americas. In addition, Neal expresses the importance for spiritual and cultural needs to be recognize, just as much as the merging of politics and art. The idea of nationhood could one day occur, however, before that can happen the narrative of the black and the oppressed needs to reach both black and white masses. For the white citizens it calls for responsibility to be taken, influencing white Americans to not just become allies of race but become active members in the fight against inequality. In supplement to Neals outlook on the clearing out of old culture and installation of new culture, is the ideas of Hoyt Fuller. In “Towards the Black Aesthetic,” Fuller reports on an incident of Jonathan Kozol’s experience with most black literature being censored from a boston school …show more content…

Like Clifton, thanks to the Black Aesthetic, black women can now appreciate their bodies that were once judged and mocked for having curvaceous hips, full lips, and big hair, instead, these aspects of their appearances now can be described as queenlike, which is demonstrated in Clifton in the way that she owns her body and rejoices to the world the love for her body. In a poem titled “Beautiful Black Men” by Nikki Giovanni, she appreciates the essence of black men. In her work she states, “royal blue tight tight pants that hug/ what i like to hug/ jerry butler, wilson pickett, the impressions/ temptations, mighty mighty sly/ don't have to do anything but walk/ on stage/ and i scream and stamp and shout/ see new breed men in breed alls”(13-20). Like Clifton, Giovanni is recognizing the allure that exists in the black male, even in something as simple as the charisma in their walk. She appreciates all types of black men in the poem from the business-type men to the men sitting in bars or running numbers, and the men who are not shy to represent their fashionable flair. Giovanni’s thoughts on the black men parallel those in Hoyt Fuller’s in a section where he discusses the coolness of black male figures like Sammy Davis, Jr, Sugar Ray Robinson, Miles Davis and Ralph Ellison. In terms of the draw and enchantment of the black male, Fuller

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