The Cambridge Companion to American Civil Rights Literature brings together leading scholars to examine the significant traditions, genres, and themes of civil rights literature. While civil rights scholarship has typically focused on documentary rather than creative writing, and political rather than cultural history, this Companion addresses the gap and provides university students with a vast introduction to an impressive range of authors, including Richard Wright, Lorraine Hansberry, Gwendolyn Brooks, James Baldwin, Amiri Baraka, and Toni Morrison. Accessible to undergraduates and academics alike, this Companion surveys the critical landscape of a rapidly growing field and lays the foundation for future studies.

‘… an accessible, engaging, and valuable introduction to the literature of civil rights.’

L. E. von Wallmenich Source: Choice

'The essays hold together well as a collection but perhaps work best if used as couplets. The collection could be a primary text in English courses about the civil right movement or used selectively in fields as wide-ranging as film studies, women’s studies, gender and queer studies, black studies, and history.'

Kristopher Burrell Source: The Journal of Southern History

'The collection deftly integrates imperative approaches to canonical works with compelling arguments for the consideration of less regarded texts. Followed by an instructive bibliography, this collection resonates as an invitation for further dialogue and delivers an interdisciplinary grounding upon which future works will surely flourish.'

Zachary Manditch-Prottas Source: Callaloo